226 EAMBLES OF A NATUEALIST. [Oh. XIV. 



At length we arrived at a long rapid, which really deserved 

 the name, and taxed the powers and sMU of our boatmen to 

 the utmost. "With loud shouts they used their bamboo poles 

 in good earnest. Our numerous paddlers were aU on the alert 

 and in a high state of excitement ; stUl they could hardly 

 make any way against the rush of water. Overboard they 

 leaped peU-meU, and although they could scarcely keep their 

 legs, they lugged the boats by main force through the narrow 

 channel. . Those that were best manned of course got 

 through first ; but my five men, although they could weU 

 hold their own against crews of eight or ten in smooth 

 water, were hard bested to get my boat through the critical 

 place. But they were soon reinforced by those in advance, 

 who came back to the rescue, and with excited shouts 

 dragged it up the cataract. Meanwhile the smaller boats 

 with fewer rowers crept laborioitsly up the side channels 

 in-shore, and soon all were safely through, and at noon we 

 found ourselves all moored by the steep banks of the river, 

 at a little impromptu village of diamond- washers, which was 

 to be our halting-place for the night. 



After a pic-nic breakfast and a bath in the river, we felt 

 sufficiently refreshed to enter upon the duties which had 

 brought us to this spot. It was a lively and interesting 

 scene, and was rendered more so by the presence of a family 

 of Dyaks, consisting of a man and woman, and a girl of 

 about 18. The dress of the man was simply a handlierchief 

 upon the head, and a scanty cloth wrapped round the loins. 

 By his side was the universal parang or chopping knife, and 

 the tanibuk, or bag from which he took betel and sirih. The 

 woman wore only a short petticoat, tightly fastened around the 

 lower part of the hips and hanging to the knees. The arms 

 and legs were encircled by spiral coils of brass wire from the • 



