112 The Gardens of the Sun. [ch. v 



men's Toads of plants more than our men could carry, 

 and so we engaged some of the Kiau villagers to carry 

 them for us as far as Bawang. We had a good deal of 

 talking, and a grand display of red cloth and brass wire 

 on the hillside, but eventually " Musa " concluded the 

 bargain, and paid over the goods in advance, as is the 

 general custom here. 



After receiving the goods, they coolly told us they 

 should not go on with us, as we walked very slow, but 

 that they would start next day, adding, that they should 

 reach Bawang before we did. We showed no signs of 

 wishing otherwise, but passed on with our followers, 

 after having told the Kiau men to water the plants well 

 as they crossed the streams, and to protect them from 

 the sun by means of large leaves, all of which they did ; 

 and when we reached Bawang, there, sure enough, were 

 our plants, aU safe and in good condition. 



After reaching Labuan, both Mr. Veitch and myself 

 had bad attacks of intermittent fever, the result of chilling 

 exposure in wet clothes, and iU-cooked food, accompanied 

 by more than ordinary exertions. Fortunately our long 

 and difficult journey had been interrupted by nothing 

 serious, and we were glad to see our native followers 

 safe home again. Certainly one of them had a nasty 

 fall from a rocky path near Bawang and cut his head 

 badly, but he was a plucky Brunei man, and soon overgot 

 his trouble. Another of our fellows who had been trusted 

 with a musket tried to fire it off after he had blocked up 

 the barrel by pushing it into the ground accidentally ! 

 He succeeded in exploding the thing, and one of the frag- 

 ments cut open his forehead, while another piece struck 

 one of the bird-hunters on the arm. No serious damage 

 was done. The road from Gaya Bay to Koung is so hilly 

 and difficult for loaded men to traverse, that I determined 



