THE RETURN JOURNEY 305 



Nginging. She had two attractive and extremely well- 

 behaved sons of twelve and fourteen years, who trusted 

 implicitly in her and showed absolute obedience, while 

 she was kindness itself coupled with intelligence. In 

 fact their relations were ideal, and it seemed a pity that 

 these fine boys should grow to manhood and die in dense 

 ignorance. 



I doubt whether any traveller, including the honest 

 missionary, disagrees with the terse sentence of the great 

 Wallace in The Malay Archipelago : "We may safely 

 affirm that the better specimens of savages are much 

 superior to the lower examples of civilised peoples." 

 Revolting customs are found, to be sure, among native 

 races, but there are also redeeming virtues. Is there 

 a so-called Christian community of which it may be truly 

 said that its members do not steal, as is the case with the 

 majority of Dayak tribes ? There are savage races who 

 are truthful, and the North American Indians never 

 broke a treaty. 



In the morning, when beginning my return journey, I 

 had to send more than once to the kampong below to ask 

 the men to come, because of their reluctance to carry 

 burdens. We had to proceed slowly, and early in the 

 afternoon reached the summit of the watershed, which 

 naturally is not at its highest here, the elevation ascer- 

 tained by boiling-point thermometer being 815 metres. 

 At a temperature of 85° F., among shady trees, a short 

 rest was very acceptable, and to get down the range 

 proved quick work as the woods were not dense. After- 

 ward we followed a path through tall grass over fallen 



