BY LAUNCH TO KUDAT 



whenever a chance affords. He is one of the foes of 

 the human race, nay, more, he is a foe of every 

 thing, and even the most fanatical opponent of kiUing 

 could not contend that he fulfils a single useful purpose. 



As I had been developing films half the previous 

 night, I did not feel inclined to make a long day of it, 

 so shortly after lunch I decided to return to Kudat. 

 I gave orders to that effect to the crew, which consisted 

 of the engineer and a boy who was supposed to know 

 how to steer ; then stretching myself out I fell fast asleep. 



It must have been about an hour later when I was 

 awakened by water pouring over the side on to me. A 

 thunder-storm had broken, it was almost dark, and the 

 boat seemed to be nearly on end. We had just reached 

 the mouth of the river. There had been a flood higher 

 up, the stream was coming down fiercely, bringing with 

 it a number of great logs, whilst to make matters worse 

 the wind was driving the sea into the river-mouth 

 against the flood. Had we fouled any of the larger logs 

 we should certainly have been swamped at once. 

 Moreover, the launch was top-heavy, with a wooden 

 kind of hood instead of the ordinary canvas awning, 

 and she was shipping seas all the time. 



By luck rather than by good management on the 

 part of the crew we managed to avoid the floating 

 timber and get out of the broken water at the river- 

 mouth, but a few minutes later another difficulty 

 arose. It had become quite dark, and I discovered 



47 



