248 The Gardens of the Sim. [ch. xm. 



size of the last, was caught, this being called " Tingerie." 

 We reached the mouth of the Abai about 5.30 p.m., and 

 tried hard to make the mouth of the Tampassuk ere dark, 

 in which we failed ; and after being tossed about for an 

 hour in vainly endeavouring to get over the bar, our men 

 were glad to pull back to a little island, near Qualla 

 Abai, where we could land to cook, and anchor for the 

 night. It was a lovely, moonlight night, and very quiet 

 in our snug little anchorage. We dined and slept on 

 board, and so escaped the myriads of mosquitoes on the 

 grassy shore. 



August oth. Awoke at sunrise, the air being deli- 

 riously fresh and cool, and the sky clear. We were glad 

 to get a very good view of Kina Balu this morning, the 

 long rocky ridge standing out first purple, and then blue, 

 against the sky, while fleecy masses of silvery clouds 

 were ever changing their position on its rugged sides. 



After a delicious bath in a little fresh-water pool 

 near the shore, and breakfast, we pulled to the Qualla 

 Tampassuk, and found a strong current coming over the 

 bar. Our men pulled over, however, all right ; and then 

 came a good five hours' pull up the river before we 

 reached the old quarters of Rajah Muda, now occu- 

 pied by Mr. Pretyman, who had come to live here a 

 month or two ago, and for whom we had brought on the 

 mails from Labuan. The whole distance from the bar 

 is only about five miles ; but the river winds much : and, 

 as it was the wet season, a deal of water coming from 

 the ranges inland had swelled the river beyond its usual 

 limits, and the men had to pull against a heavy stream. 



The vegetation of the banks is luxuriant; and after 

 pulling a mile or two, native dwellings, and cultivated 

 patches of bananas, cocoa-nut trees, tapioca, maize, and 

 other products appear. We reached Mr. Pretyman's 



