IN BORNEAN FORESTS [chap. 



were as much surprised to see us as if we had fallen from the clouds. 

 They appeared to be people of very stay-at-home habits, and to 

 know next to nothing of the country beyond their own district, 

 at all events landwards, for at sea these Dyaks were once famous 

 for their piratical cruises. Ladja and his companion were never 

 tired of narrating the story of our wanderings over and over again, 

 with the minutest particulars. In all the houses where we had 

 stopped for the night in the latter part of our journey, the Dyaks 

 used to assemble and squat down in a circle around me, staring in 

 silence at me and watching every movement I made, whether I was 

 dressing, washing, or taking my meals. Then came a flood of ques- 

 tions — some of them most absurd — concerning Europe, our ships, 

 railroads, etc. Then Ladja and his companion would sing, extem- 

 porising in Dyak verse our wonderful adventures during the 

 journey. They always began with a shrill and ear-piercing scream, 

 which was kept up as long as their breath lasted ; then followed 

 cadenzas, much after the fashion of our own peasants' songs. The 

 Sabuyos appeared to enjoy this music exceedingly, which I cannot 

 say I did. 



At 7 a.m. on the 18th we left for the pangkalan, or landing 

 place, where we were to find boats to descend the Sumundjang as 

 far as the village of that name. We crossed some marshy ground 

 ty one of the most awful of Dyak pathways — the very worst I had 

 ever met, which is saying a great deal. On account of the rain the 

 water in the marshes was higher than usual, the branches and tree 

 trunks on which we had to walk were rotten, and to add to our dis- 

 comfort the terrible Scleria — a kind of sedge which always covers 

 these tracts of swampy land — covered my hands and half- naked legs 

 with scratches. There was no shade, and the heat was intense ; and, 

 to crown all, the fierce red ants abounded. As we could not avoid 

 disturbing their nests in passing, they revenged themselves by 

 swarming all over us, and inflicting particularly painful bites. 



On our way we came to a pool on whose borders grew quite a 

 number of the same wild orange-trees which I had found at Sibu. 

 The conspicuous feature of the marsh vegetation in these localities 

 is a species of Pandanus, which appeared to me identical with that 

 which I had met with on the Umpanang. 



When we reached the landing place we all got into the boat, 

 but it was a very small one and could hardly carry us. We were 

 therefore obliged to move with the greatest caution, so as not to 

 capsize. The water was black and with hardly any current, the 

 river here spreading over the forest in all directions, and looking as 

 if it had no proper bed of its own. We saw again a lot of Mayas' 

 nests, and at last caught sight of one of these creatures not more 

 than thirty yards off. I fired two shots at him, and apparently hit 

 him badly ; but I was obliged to leave him, for he fell in the midst of 



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