AN EXPEDITION TO MOUNT BATU LAWI. 7 
is really an expedition undertaken against the tribes on the border, 
against whom they have (or pretend they have) old scores to pay 
off, they are immensely keen to accompany me. However as I 
know the Muruts further up-river and have arranged with them 
to take me through the more difficult part of the journey, we stick 
to our original twelve. The bazaar is full of these Dayaks who 
have come down to meet the Rajah and ask his permission to go on 
the war-path against these people in the interior, a request which 
was of course refused when the Rajah arrived on his annual visit 
a day or two afterwards. 
May 7th. Leave Limbang on the Government steamer “ Alice 
Lorraine” at 9 a.m. having got rid of superfluous Dayaks who had 
boarded the steamer in the hopes of being allowed te come at the 
last moment. ‘Two were allowed to come in place of two others 
who asked to be let off, one on account of bad dreams and the other 
for domestic reasons. The steamer towing our up-river boats soon 
passed the first corner and cut short our last view of Europeans 
and civilization. Winding through low-lying country, first past 
untidy but picturesque Brunei-Malay houses scattered along the 
banks half-hidden among large banana plantations, and among 
them Kadayan houses intermingled, then further up river the. 
Malays give place to the neat Bisaya houses with buffalo herds 
grazing near by, presenting such a peaceful scene that it is difficult 
to imagine all this country in the throes of continual strife under 
Brunei oppression only 20 years ago. Crocodiles abound in this 
river and I had a shot or two from the steamer at them, but without 
visible effect. ‘This is the common species C. porosus; the Gavial 
(Tomistoma schlegeli)—common enough in the Sadong River, 
Sarawak—does not I believe occur there though it has been recorded 
in the neighbouring rivers of 'Trusan and Lawas. We arrive at 
Bidang at 1 p.m. and take all the baggage up to an empty house 
on the hank, where we arrange to pass the night. The steamer has 
to return as there are rocks in the river just above this and she 
cannot venture further. Went out with a gun in the evening and 
secured a pigeon (punei) and a love-bird (tiong) ; on returning in 
the boat we were startled by the firing of a small cannon twice quite 
near us; this came from a Bisaya house and we learned that an old 
lady of high rank had died that day. The head of the house asked 
me up and IJ found a few men sitting and beating gongs round the 
eorpse,—already swathed in burial clothes. There were no appa- 
rent signs of grief among the inmates of the house and I gathered 
that the deceased was very old, or, as the natives put it, “her years 
Werte enough” (omor chukup). The heavy rain of two days ago © 
could only have been local as the river is not high. 
: May Sth. Left Bidang at 6.45 this, morning,in the boats 
manned by Bisayas., They seem to be very distinct from other 
tribes of this region and, according to some I asked, are closely 
related to the Tutongs of the Brunei—Baram district. Certain 
authors have stated that they. come from the Philippines, but I 
R. A. Soc., No. 63 I912. 
