NORTH BORNEO. 
33 
stemmed Nebong palm, which is surmounted with a graceful plume-like tuft of foliage, 
formed one of nature’s most beautiful gardens; the reason of this change was that the 
water is now too sweet for the brackish-loving Nipa. Here we began to notice signs of 
animal life : flocks of screaming Parrots (.Palceornis longicaudo ) flew overhead; large long¬ 
tailed red monkeys here, too, found a home, at night holding howling parties, which were 
only broken up by a charge of shot aimed in the direction from whence the hideous 
sounds proceeded. 
At 5 p.m. we landed on the low banks, which were not more than a foot above the water, 
and cooked our evening meal; but the mosquitoes were in such force that we were glad 
to return to the prahu. As it was impossible to sleep in such a place, our boatmen 
preferred to paddle on until we reached the first native house; there we stopped for the 
night, the men being much fatigued with their long day’s work. I decided to sleep in the 
prahu; and though I carefully hung my mosquito-net, some dozens managed to enter, 
preventing all chance of sleep. For forest travel a mosquito-net is an absolute necessity, 
not only for insects, but as a preventive from damp and fever: this net should be made 
of coarse thin trade-cloth known as grey shirting, by the natives as “ Blatchu; ” the size 
should not be larger than seven feet by four, with no side entrance, as this is a weak point 
by which mosquitoes always enter. Mosquitoes are, without exception, the worst pests a 
traveller has to put up with—constant everywhere, both night and day; a small black insect 
banded with white is especially venomous, attacking one’s wrists and ankles in broad 
daylight. The Padas River was the worst district I visited in Borneo for these blood¬ 
sucking insects. During the day thousands of minute black sand-flies would crawl up 
your legs and arms and in your hair, causing great irritation by their bites; the flat and 
swampy nature of the country is no doubt the cause of such an extraordinary abundance. 
The next morning we were off by daybreak. The surrounding country is now more 
open, with frequent plains of coarse grass mingled with clumps of forest; the Padas is a 
fine stream, quite one hundred yards broad, but the scenery is not nearly so beautiful as it 
was lower down. 
When we landed to boil water for our breakfast, we were, as usual, soon driven away 
by mosquitoes. In a clump of trees I was delighted with two very small squirrels ( Sciurus 
exilis). These little animals were very tame, allowing me to approach within two or three 
yards; but they always managed to avoid my butterfly-net, with which I was trying to 
secure them, by dodging round the tree-trunk; they belong to a small group of pygmy 
squirrels, and are no bigger than a large-sized mouse, feeding apparently on the bark of 
large trees, which have their trunks often much bitten by these little animals. 
On the 5th we arrived at Gadong, at the time of our visit the only station of the 
Company on this river. The garrison consisted of eight Sikh police, who were living in 
a tumble-down native house; here we decided to rest for the day, as our boatmen had had 
a very hard pull since we left Mempakol, the mosquitoes at night spoiling their rest. In 
the afternoon I visited the house of a native chief, who showed me some beautifully-cast 
brass cannons, or, as they are called, “ badils; ” they were covered with ornamental work 
and with well-executed models of crocodiles for the handles, which most of these badils 
have over the swivel, and mounted so as to command the river in front of the house. 
F 
