292 A NATURALIST IN BORNEO 



to the feast, as a child had died the day before in one 

 of the houses of the village. 



September is/. Started at 7.30 from Tabekang with 

 a full crew ; reached a point about a mile below Gedong 

 at nightfall in pouring rain ; tied up to a Malay house 

 for the night. The river is very wide here, and the bore 

 on reaching these wide spaces flattens out ; canoes 

 always make for these spots when they know that the 

 bore "bena "-is due. Had a wretched night, owing to 

 countless mosquitoes and a leaky covering to the boat. 



September 2nd. Started at daybreak, the rain still 

 pouring down ; at 9 a heavy storm overtook us, and 

 the wind was so violent that I thought we should be 

 blown over ; the gusts, getting under the palm-leaf shelter 

 of the boat, caused us to heel over perilously near to the 

 capsizing limit : we made for one of the banks and 

 tied up till the worst was over. Reached Sadong at 

 midday. 



