44 AN EXPEDITION TO MOUNT BATU LAWI. 
We reach the Madihit again about 11 o’clock and after a re- 
freshing bathe and a meal proceed on to Penribut’s house arriving 
a little after 3 p.m., most of the natives done up after the lsat three 
days hard walking on short commons; I too was quite glad of a 
LeSv. 
They told us that Tama Belulok had returned home after 
staying four days longer in the house. A new report has come in 
to the ‘effect that only. two men of Oyau Blawing’s house have died, 
not the whole house except five as first reported ! They also report 
that a Dutch controlleur and his servant. have been killed by one 
Maalin of Long Krian not far from the head-waters of the Baram. 
June 4th. Spent the anniversary of King George the Third’s 
birthday in Penribut’s house settling up w ith the natives. The 
usual wage recognized by the Government in this district is 30 
cents a day and it takes some time working out the amount due to 
each man, as so many have joined me at different dates. We have 
to settle up here as | am sending the Pandaruan Dayaks, the Dayak 
collectors and some of the Muruts back by the way we came, 1.e., 
down the Madihit and the Limbang, while I intend going round the 
southern end of Mt. Molu to join the tributaries of the Baram river 
and so down to the Government station (Claudetown) on that river. 
This round has never been done before and further travelling 
among strange tribes will sure to prove interesting. Only Belulok, 
another ‘Tabun, Madu and the cook are to accompany me with a 
few Kalabits to help carry our baggage. 
Having no money with me, series of I. O. U’s. have to be 
issued in the duly approved and very convenient way of the Glorious 
East. As a matter of fact money is of little or no use to the natives 
up here unless they make the journey to the coast where they can 
exchange it for goods of more value in their eyes, viz. beads, jars, 
gongs, gun- _powder, etc. These chits of mine will therefore be kept 
till they go down river, when they will be duly honoured at the 
Government station. Being entirely enable to read or write, these 
up-river natives have a great respect for anything in the way of a 
printed or written note, and Mr. Ermen, the Government Officer 
then in charge of this district, had kindly given me two or three 
printed Government “surat panggil” (Government summons 
forms) to use in case a having difliculties in obtaining coolies. But 
so far I have not had occasion to use any. Belulok asked my 
assistance in recovering a debt of one buffalo and a quantity of 
rubber from a Kalabit here, who, he said, had been owing him 
that for some time. Of course I had no power to do anything of 
the sort and told him so; but he said be quite understood that and 
all he wanted was an all-powerful “ surat ”—it did’nt matter what, 
any scrap of paper with some writing on it would do, he said, as 
the Kalabit could not read (nor could he for the matter of that )— 
so I gave him an old envelope which bore my name and address and 
with this talisman he succeeded in recovering a certain amount 
of rubber ($20 or $30 worth) there and then! What wicked un- 
Tour. Straits Branch 
