JUNGLE HUNTER 245 



which are south of the Siak, and have their source 

 well over toward the western coast of the island, 

 whence they make their way not quite so deviously 

 as the Siak, east into the China Sea. This was a 

 section outside of Uda's ken, and, like all the Far 

 Eastern coast and river-living people, he saw 

 nothing but failure in an attempt to penetrate a 

 country which was without beaten path. I had no 

 definite information about the district, nor could I 

 find native or Dutchman who had visited it; but 

 there seemed to be a tradition that so far as rhinoc- 

 eros were concerned, it was a land of plenty. So 

 I determined to go despite the fact that Uda 

 thought little of it and prophesied failure. 



This was all talked out, over and over, labor- 

 iously between Uda and me, and translated by him 

 to Jin Abu, who still lingered with us, and took 

 great interest in the discussion. It occupied sev- 

 eral nights to talk it out, for in the day time we 

 paddled, Uda sticking to his single dug-out, which 

 he was taking down the river to cache ; and when 

 we stopped paddling, the mosquitoes demanded a 

 good share of our time and attention. Finally the 

 plan settled upon was that we should make our 

 way down the river— discharging my present party 

 at the point where I had engaged them— to the 

 mouth of the Siak, where Uda was well acquainted, 

 and where we should hire boats and outfit for the 



