42 
NORTH BORNEO. 
On the 31st of August we left for the Benkoker River, which was reached after a few 
hours’ sail; the tide being suitable we had no difficulty in passing the sand-bar, which seems 
ever present across the embouchures of Bornean rivers : we passed into calm water and 
proceeded up stream, having no definite idea as to where we were going to settle for the 
next month or two; on our way up the river we saw two Crocodiles, some Darters, Herons, 
and other birds; but as shooting out of boats is most unsatisfactory, I was not on the look 
out. A little further on we passed the now flattened remains of some large houses which 
had been built by the Company for a number of Hakka Chinese, who were enticed over to 
Borneo by dreams of land grants and other privileges, these people being chiefly 
agriculturists; but however good they might be at growing vegetables, as it was impossible 
to find a market for their produce they were unable to earn their livelihood, and when the 
rains came the river overflowed its banks level to the floors of their houses, added to which 
fever and other climatic complaints soon kill ed or dispersed this disastrous little colony. 
A short distance further on we passed some natives on the left bank busy making attaps 
for the newly-opened station on Banguey Island ; we little thought at the time that one of 
these peaceful-looking individuals was to be the cause of a most dreadful tragedy before a 
few weeks had passed over our heads. Shortly after passing these attap-makers we were 
hailed by a negro in broken English ; he, hearing I intended to stop on the river some time, 
offered to sell me his house, as he said he was going elsewhere after attaps : the hut being 
fairly clean though small, and I was undecided as to my future movements, I thought this 
would be a suitable place to begin with. The price asked by Fareigh, the negro, was six 
shillings, which I agreed to pay when I left; but I afterwards found out that this black 
gentleman had no claim to the house at all, and that it belonged to some natives who had 
gone to work in their paddi-fields higher up the river, so I waited until they returned, when 
I paid them for the use of their little dwelling (see illustration opposite). In this house we 
lived until the 17th of November; it was built in the usual style, about five feet above the 
ground on posts, the sides and roof made entirely of attaps, in size about twenty-five feet 
by ten; with the help of a few rattan mats, boxes, and my folding camp-bed, my division 
of the house soon looked quite comfortable; the three boys had the rest, which was divided 
off with attaps, using it as a kitchen and sleeping-apartment, and for everything else as a 
matter of fact. We had no door to close at night, but pulled up the ladder by which we 
entered and placed it across the entrance. The forest extended to within a few yards of 
our dwelling, which was very convenient, as often one has to walk miles to suitable 
collecting-grounds, which in the tropics means a good deal of labour; the river flowed 
past our frontage, so we had no difficulty in obtaining wood and water for our daily use, 
this occupation falling to “ Boukar, the Dirty.” On both sides were houses of the Orang 
Sungei, surrounded with maize-plantations and a few acres of sweet-potatoes. 
Fareigh, the negro, reigned like a king over the people; unfortunately they are all 
afraid of him, believing him to be, through his own representations, one of the Company’s 
servants : his chief occupation was buying attaps, or acting as middleman between the 
Kudat and Banguey coolies and the Benkoker people, who could have managed better 
without him; he also did a good deal of trading in beeswax and rattans, cheating his 
clients in every possible way. I have never come into contact with the great African negro 
