IN BORNEAN FORESTS [chap. 



special to chiefs who have shown courage and killed their man in 

 the wars. 



Tummusong and his companions had a good look at me, and 

 next proceeded to examine my things, asking questions and desiring 

 explanations on everything. But what struck their fancy most 

 were the small bottles and glass tubes in which I preserved insects. 

 Having a good assortment, I gave them a few as presents, and saw 

 at once, that they were much pleased. 



Rain fell nearly all day, and I remained in the houses allaying 

 the curiosity of the Kayans on one side and mine on the other, for I 

 gathered much information on their customs and habits and on their 

 country. I was specially anxious to ascertain where I could find 

 the camphor tree, and the iron ore from which the Kayans extract 

 the metal for their weapons, desiring to go next day in search of 

 both. 



It continued to rain during the night ; but the morning of the 

 24th was fine, and at 8 a.m. I started in my sampan up 

 the Tubao after the camphor tree. My Malays had added to their 

 number two natives from the interior of a tribe unknown to me, who 

 had been engaged to serve me as guides by Pangerang Rio. After 

 having paddled for a couple of hours, I found out that these natives 

 were perfect strangers to the country, and were ignorant of even 

 the name of the hills where the camphor trees grew. Moreover, 

 they did not understand a single word of the Bintulu dialect. I 

 therefore turned back to try and find more suitable guides for my 

 work. 



On my return to the village I found that other Kayans had 

 arrived. Some came from neighbouring villages on purpose to get 

 medicines from me. They appeared to be quite mad on medicine. 

 Ammonia, as always amongst such people, created a great sensation. 

 The wry faces of those who placed their noses on the bottle containing 

 it were greeted with peals of laughter. All wanted to smell it, and 

 all wanted to have a look inside my medicine chest, and then would 

 load me with questions as to its contents. It seemed as if they were 

 quite sorry not to be ill in order to have an occasion of experiencing 

 the effects of all these remedies on themselves. The fact of possessing 

 the means of healing disease was quite enough to raise me to the 

 dignity of a wizard or sorcerer in their eyes. Indeed, one or two 

 showed me the palm of their hands that I might, from the signs 

 thereon, predict their fortune. To them the physician and the 

 wizard are one and the same, and I contributed to the strengthening 

 of their belief by shooting a bird on the wing. Their surprise 

 became stupor when they saw me handle unharmed an innocent 

 millipede (lulus), which they consider highly poisonous. 



In the evening more Kayans arrived, and with them their chief,. 

 Kam Nipa, a well-made and active young man about thirty years 



270 



