302 PAGAN TRIBES OF BORNEO chap. 



of years, led to the growth of a new community of 

 the same kind. 



This band had raided the surrounding country, 

 slaying and robbing people of several tribes, and 

 generally had been having a " gorgeous time." They 

 had repeatedly refused to yield even when threatened 

 by armed force. And when the Resident sent them 

 a peremptory message, commanding them to appear 

 to surrender themselves at the nearest government 

 station within one month, they returned an impudent 

 answer, saying that they had so far accepted orders 

 from no one, and asking — Who was he that they 

 should obey him? Steps were at once taken to 

 enforce obedience. Since to storm the hill might 

 well cost many lives, it seemed preferable to try 

 to lure its defenders from their stronghold. The 

 Resident, without giving the brigands further warn- 

 ing, went up the Rejang with a single boat's crew to 

 a point about 150 miles above the mouth of the Bali, 

 the tributary that flows past Bukit Batu. At this 

 point another tributary, the Bukau, coming from 

 near the opposite side of Bukit Batu, joins the 

 Rejang. Here he collected a force of some 200 

 Kayans and Klemantans, and led them up to the 

 head of the Bukau and then on foot through the jungle 

 to the neighbourhood of Bukit Batu. The route 

 by which the brigands usually passed to and from 

 their fastness was at a spot near the river, where 

 rude ladders of wood and rattan had been fixed to 

 facilitate the ascent and descent of the precipitous 

 foot of the hill. Near this spot the force was 

 divided into two parties, which were stationed in 

 the jungle at some little distance from the ladders, 

 right and left of the path to the river ; and a party 

 of ten active men was detached, with instructions to 

 hang about the foot of the ladders and to retreat 

 along the path to the river if they were attacked. 

 On the second day the I bans on the mountain 



