AN EXPEDITION TO MOUNT BATU LAWI. 55 
not allow him to give us any, nor for the same reason could I or any 
other stranger go up into his house. This by the way was an 
exceptionally long one, consisting of some ninety doors built some 
thirty yards back from the bank of the river. Large wooden tiles 
were used for the roof and the large solid bilian posts supporting 
the house were of a very different nature to the flimsy structures 
made by the Kalabits on the Madihit. 
An hour’s paddling brought us to Belulok’s house and I went 
up to talk to him while they were preparing the boat. ‘This is 
another long house built on the same solid lines as Buoy Won’s. 
Belulok asked one of our party for some small present which as 
far as I could understand, he wanted as a kind of propitiatory 
offering for having caused the Long Watts to break through their 
taboo. He said it did not matter what form the offering took, 
only it must not be broken or damaged in any way; so one of my 
party offered a parang which seemed to meet the requirements of 
the case all right. ‘The old chief apologized courteously for having 
asked for it, but explained that it was their custom under the 
circumstances, and the natives with me seemed to regard it as a 
natural request. We started off after a short delay, in their best 
racing boat, a fine long boat some 70 feet long with 18 Long Watts 
for a crew. When we were in, baggage and all, there was a bare 
inch of free board, but she was beautifully steady and the long 
gliding motion as they steadily paddled us down the Apoh was 
delightful. We stopped about one o’clock for a meal on the bank, 
and then continued till dark. We had to stop then, as it was too 
dangerous to try and shoot the rapids in the dark, although there 
were none very bad to pass. About nine the moon rose over the 
tree-tops by the water’s edge and we were soon on the move again, 
reaching a long house at Batu Bla just at break of day. We are 
now in the Tutau river again, which, it may be remembered, is the 
same river that we ascended behind Mt. Molu up to Long Mutan. 
June 14th. Most of the inhabitants of this long house were 
away and it was with some difficulty that the chief managed to get 
a boat for us to continue the journey. Our friends the Long Watts 
began the return journey up-river after resting an hour or so only. 
We had taken eighteen hours to come down and they expected to 
get back in two nights. 
We spent a tedious day being passed on from house to house, 
doing an hour’s journey with some I.ong Kiputs, then another 
stretch of two or three hours in a Bukit boat. By nightfall we had 
reached the main Baram river and later passed the mouth of the 
Tinjar river. 
June 15ih. 2.30 am. we draw up alongside the wharf of 
Claudetown; our first thought is for the steamer from Kuching, has 
she come and gone, or not yet arrived? We are told that it is all 
right, the last one left a fortnight ago and they are expecting 
another in any day now. After a few hours sleep in the Fort I pay 
an early call on Mr. H. 8S. B. Johnson, the Acting Resident in 
R. A. Soc., No. 63, 1912. 
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