376 THROUGH CENTRAL BORNEO 



working under adverse conditions. When engaged in 

 their pursuit they must always stand in water, which 

 covers the ground and is usually shallow but at times 

 reaches to the arm-pit. 



Four weeks previously an epidemic of beri-beri had 

 started with a mortality of one or two every day. When 

 attacked by the disease they return to the kampong but 

 only few recover, most of them dying from one or the 

 other of the two forms of beri-beri. Nevertheless, the 

 remainder continue the work undismayed — "business go- 

 ing on as usual." In the tropics life and death meet on 

 friendly terms. "That is a sad phase of this country," 

 said a Briton to me in India; "you shake hands with a 

 man to-day and attend his funeral to-morrow." 



At its deepest part the lake measures about seven 

 metres. From May to August, when the Pembuang 

 River is small and the lake is low, the depth is reduced 

 to a metre. People then must walk far out to get water. 

 Every afternoon we had gales accompanied by heavy 

 rain from the northeast, although once it came from the 

 southwest, and the Selatan had to put out another 

 anchor. I was told that similar storms are usual every 

 afternoon at that season (April), during which prahus 

 do not venture out; apparently they also occur around 

 Sampit and are followed by calm nights. 



Eighteen Dayaks were brought here from Bangkal. 

 Of these, nine were Tamoan, the tribe of the region, eight 

 Katingan, and one Teroian (or Balok) from Upper Pem- 

 buang. They were measured, photographed, and inter- 

 viewed. One man looked astonishingly like a Japanese. 



