i62 THROUGH CENTRAL BORNEO 



here, showers fell occasionally and sometimes it rained all 

 ni^ht. As a rule the days were bright, warm, and beauti- 

 ful; the few whiiii were cloudy seemed actually chilly 

 and made one desire the return of the sun. 



Our first task was to make arrangements for the further 

 journey up the Busang River to Tamaloe, a remote kam- 

 pong recently formed by the Penyahbongs on the upper 

 part of the river. We were about to enter the great ac- 

 cumulation of kihams which make travel on the Busang 

 peculiarly difficult. The lieutenant's hope that we might 

 secure more men from among the rubber gatherers was 

 not fulfilled. The few who were present made excuses, 

 and as for the others, they were far away in the utan, 

 nobody knew where. We still had some Malays, and, 

 always scheming for money or advantage to themselves, 

 they began to invent new difficulties and demand higher 

 wages. Although I was willing to make allowances, it 

 was impossible to go beyond a certain limit, because the 

 tribes we should meet later would demand the same 

 payment as their predecessors had received. The old 

 Malay resident, who in the meantime had returned from 

 his absence, could ofTer no advice. 



Finally exorbitant wages were demanded, and all 

 wanted to return except four. As the lieutenant had 

 expressed his willingness to proceed to Tamaloe in ad- 

 vance of the party and try to hire the necessary men 

 there, it was immediately decided that he should start 

 with our four remaining men and one soldier, while the 

 rest of us waited here with the sergeant and four soldiers. 

 On February 4 the party was off, as lightly equipped 



