IN BORNEAN FORESTS [chap. 



in torrents. The roof of bark under which we were was out of 

 repair, and afforded very poor shelter ; but no better was to be 

 had. I was in a state bordering on despair on account of 

 the botanical specimens I had collected during the day ; they 

 were already wet, and now when I placed them to dry on the floor 

 of the house they were deluged again by the water which streamed 

 from the roof. 



We were now near the foot of Gunong Kananpei, the hill which 

 we had seen from Lampei, but it is not visible from the river, being 

 hidden by the trees on the banks. 



The following day we paddled continuously against the current. 

 I only had a halt of a couple of hours to dry my botanical paper 

 at a fire, for the weather was so variable, with sudden rain- 

 storms, that T could not spread it, as usual, in the sun. On the 

 next day, too, the 19th, we paddled for ten hours consecutively, 

 with only slight rests for collecting flowering plants. I saw on 

 the trees many Mayas nests, but none of these creatures them- 

 selves. Other monkeys were numerous, especially the kra, which 

 were not at all timid, and came close to our boat. At the request 

 of the Dyaks, who wanted them for their dinner, I shot several. 

 We passed Grogo, where we had been obliged to remain three 

 nights on our way down. We continued paddling up the river 

 until we came to the Kantupa, an insignificant stream, into which 

 we turned aside to leave the boats. There was a house there, but 

 we marched on on foot, and in about an hour, at dusk, reached 

 the house-village of Intika, the Orang Tua who had accom- 

 panied me during the trip, and had proved so useful in many ways. 



Intika was a very intelligent man, and I had seen him treated 

 with respect at all the villages we passed through, and to him, 

 no doubt, in great measure was due the success of my excursion. 

 He was also a good diplomatist, and asserted that he wished to 

 be on a good footing both with the Sarawak and the Dutch 

 authorities, though the Kantu Dyaks did not appear to look up 

 to the latter much. 



The twentieth of May was a well-earned day of rest for my men, 

 who had paddled for three days from morning to night against 

 the current of the Kantu. I myself was glad of a little respite 

 in Intika's house, one of the cleanest I had yet seen, and I 

 had to sort and dry the plants I had collected. 



Next day I awoke my men at 4 a.m., so as to be ready to start at 

 6 a.m. I wished now to get back at Marop as soon as possible 

 in order to ensure the preservation of my collections, which, on 

 account of the constant bad weather, I had been unable to dry, or 

 even to keep from the rain. 



We tramped along briskly for five hours, the carriers having 

 lighter loads now that our provisions were consumed. But it rained 



190 



