138 THROUGH AN UNKNOWN CORNER OF PAHANG. 
floated on down stream, we passed some sambhur (Rusa) drinking 
at the water’s edge; they never moved as we went by—a sure sign 
that no human beings lived anywhere near. 
We shot several rapids without mishap during the morning 
and were becoming fairly confident of our skill (or luck) in this 
somewhat thrilling pastime. A bad rapid, known as Jeram Tahan 
Badak, however, proved our undoing. There appeared to be a 
kink in this as we could not see the end. Clifford led, each raft 
following at afew minutes’ interval. The rush of water was terri- 
fic. As we swept round the corner, we saw Clifford and his raft 
high up on a rock; he and his party frantically gesticulated to us 
to keep. to the left; S’man my leader, drove his pole in hard in 
front of my raft, but to no purpose; the raft was on it at once and 
out he shot; he came out bobbing in front of us, while we swept on 
towards Chfford. I just managed to haul him up as we crashed on 
to the rock. We could do nothing to stop the third raft from the 
same fate. When we took stock we found we could make two 
whole rafts out of our bamboos, but, worst luck of all, we had lost 
our only remaining fowl—a white one, which we had carefully kept 
for the last. 
18TH Aprit. (Haster Day).—Floated on down stream all day- 
Lost our cooked food at a rapid. The rafts became so knocked 
about they would scarcely float. There were no bamboos avail- 
able for mending them, but we managed to patch one with a small 
meranti tree. Slept the night at Kuala Som. 
19TH Aprit. We started early, getting along fairly well until 
we came to another bad rapid, Jeram Mena. Here Chfford came 
to grief. He and his raft upset; he lost everything except his cork 
mattress; all the rice was spoilt. We managed, however, to put 
together a small raft out of the wreck, on which we sent on two 
men to try and find the boat, which Owen, the District Officer at 
Kuala Tembiling, had undertaken to send up the river to meet us. 
The rest of us spent some time diving to try and recover Clif- 
ford’s revolver etc., but a wonderful rainbow appeared, with one | 
end touching the place where all the things were sunk; the Malays 
thereupon ceased their efforts as they said the spooks had taken 
the things. It rained hard and we remained there cold and 
miserable. 
20TH Aprit. Three dug-outs turned up at 8 am. and we 
pushed off on the final stage of our journey, glad to think that the 
end was in sight, but at the first rapid we all upset. At Kuala 
Tekal, where ‘the Tekal joins the Tembiling River we found our 
boat. Further on down, at Kuala Tembiling, Duff and Owen were 
waiting for us at the house of Panglima Kakap, together with a 
huge curry. Scent had been sprinkled liberally over plate, spoon 
and fork, but our hunger made light of such trifles. 
Jour. Straits Branch 
