WILD LIFE IN CENTRAL BORNEO 187 



It is further declared that its habitat extends through the 

 hilly regions between the headwaters of the Busang River 

 and the Upper Barito, and that it is especially numerous 

 near the kampong Kelasin. If any one with the hope of 

 possibly finding a new species of mammal should care to 

 follow the matter up, Kelasin on the Upper Barito would 

 not be an extremely difficult place to reach, with good men. 

 Both the lieutenant and I, having so many rifles, were 

 much inclined to defy the terrors of the nundun, but de- 

 sirable as this expedition would have been, it had to be 

 given up because of the formidable difficulties in getting 

 men, even if we followed the route over the watershed 

 which is used by the natives. 



Bangsul had undertaken to negotiate with us on behalf 

 of the Penyahbongs and the Malays, and although in some 

 ways he was an estimable man, his Malay characteristic 

 of turning everything to his own advantage at times got 

 the better of him and delayed an agreement. At first 

 they demanded a sum amounting to seven florins a day 

 for each of the twenty-nine men needed, but as fourteen 

 Malay rubber-gatherers arrived very opportunely, it 

 was agreed that we should be taken to the Kasao River 

 for 300 florins and my six prahus. The natives had 

 some trouble deciding how the prahus should be divided 

 among them, the kapala insisting upon having the largest 

 and best for himself. 



This question having been settled through Bangsul, 

 on March 22 we departed. Our prahus were poled 

 most of the way on a stream which, though rather shal- 

 low, ran with a swift current, and at times made my 



