START FOR CENTRAL BORNEO 155 



hearing of the roar of the rapids, an invigorating sound 

 and an inspiring sight. The so-called Kiham Atas is one 

 kilometre long. The left side of the river rises perpen- 

 dicularly over the deep, narrow waters, the lower part 

 bare, but most of it covered with picturesque vegetation, 

 especially conspicuous being rows of sago palms. The 

 prahus had to be dragged up along the opposite side 

 between big stones. Only our instruments were carried 

 overland, as we walked along a foot-path through de- 

 lightful woods, and at nine o'clock the prahus had finished 

 the ascent. 



Not long afterward we approached the first of the 

 four big kihams which still had to be passed and which 

 are more difficult. Having been relieved of their loads 

 the prahus were hauled, one at a time, around a big 

 promontory situated just opposite a beautiful cascade 

 that falls into the river on the mountainous side. Around 

 the promontory the water forms treacherous currents. 

 Above it eight or nine Malays pulled the rattan cable, 

 which was three times as long as usual, and when the 

 first prahu, one man inside, came into view from below, 

 passing the promontory, it unexpectedly shot out into 

 the middle of the river, and then, in an equally startling 

 manner, turned into a back current. This rapidly car- 

 ried it toward an almost invisible rock where Longko, 

 who was an old hand on this river, had taken his stand 

 among the waves and kept it from foundering. The 

 Malays were pulling the rattan as fast as they could, 

 running at times, but before the prahu could be hauled 

 up to safety it still had to pass a hidden rock some dis- 



