400 TRIP UP THE SOUTHERN BRANCH 



take care, will soon blind him. I advised him to go to 

 Sarawak, and be operated upon for it by the doctor, but 

 he does not seem to consider it of sufficient importance. 



These Dyaks seldom use paddles in this shallow 

 stream, but propel their boats with long canes of 

 bamboo, which they use more adroitly than any other 

 tribes I have visited : the women are equally expert 

 with the men. Of some pigeons we had killed, fowls, 

 fish, yams, fern shoots, and fruit, we made an excellent 

 dinner, and having supplied the people with tobacco, 

 slept soundly, undisturbed by dreams, in our very com- 

 fortable boats. My bed is a hearth-rug laid on the 

 flooring of the boat with fine mats over it. We are 

 protected irom the rain by an awning of Kajangs, or 

 mats made of the leaves of the Nipah palm, impenetrable 

 to all weather. These last two days we have journeyed 

 very slowly, as I have been gathering plants and enjoy- 

 ing this most beautiful part of the river, through which 

 it had been a sin to hurry. 



Dec. 7th. We left Sebongoh early, and passing the 

 mouth of the Samban, a shallow river which comes 

 from the Gunong Seroung to the westward, reached the 

 landing-place of the Brang Dyaks, where is a fine sandy 

 beach. Some Malays, who were here trading with the 

 Dyaks, informed me that the Brang village was under 

 the Pamali, so that I could not visit it without causing 

 them to break through a custom which I had no desire 

 to do. They live on a high limestone, round-topped 

 mountain, half a mile in-shore. Having collected some 



