NORTH BORNEO. 
43 
races ; but from what I saw of this single specimen, I should conclude that it is possible 
for them one day to take a high position among nations, adapting themselves easily to 
western civilization, and perhaps surpassing even the Chinese in general swindling. 
Somehow, whenever I turned up unexpectedly, Fareigh was always to be found sitting 
comfortably in my house ; later on I found out that he used to watch me go to the forest, 
when he would make his morning call and demand his breakfast, threatening to thrash the 
boy left in charge unless he complied with his wishes. However, the next time I met my 
negro acquaintance I told him if ever he entered the house again I would give him a most 
awful thrashing—which, by the way, I should have been totally unfit to carry out, as he 
was considerably over six feet and big in proportion, but a thick stick across his shins 
would have made some impression, I have no doubt. One branch of this man’s business 
was very lucrative : he would confiscate the krises of the Orang Sungei, about the only 
article of value they possessed, on the slightest pretext, and the next time he went over to 
Kudat would give them to the police ; but not quite understanding this mode of procedure, 
the first time I went over to Kudat I inquired of the police about these weapons, and 
requested them to visit the Chinese pawnshop, where, as I expected, Fareigh had pawned 
them. These sort of superior-minded men do an immense amount of harm amongst the 
ignorant natives, and especially when their range of rascality is far away from Government 
control: unfortunately the territory of the Company is so great, its officers so few, and the 
means of communication so bad, that those in charge of districts larger than most English 
counties seldom visit parts of these districts once in several years ; and when they do so, 
the natives have either forgotten their wrongs or avenged them after their own custom. If 
I had not made the Resident aware of Fareigh’s misdoings, he would, no doubt, be king of 
the Benkoker to-day, ruling by his pretended connection with the Company, and frightening 
the ignorant by his threats, size, and ugliness, unless some native more plucky than the 
rest had cut him down with his kris, which would probably have got the whole community 
into trouble with their supposed government, and certainly brought death to their deliverer 
from this swindling bully. I am happy to state that when I last inquired after this negro, 
a year or so later, he had overstepped the limit by swindling the Government, and was 
then enjoying board and lodging at the Company’s expense, and was not allowed to visit 
the Benkoker after his release. 
The proximity of both forest and river made our dwelling very convenient; I purchased 
a dug-out or canoe from some natives in which we could make expeditions on the river, so 
we Avere able to move about freely, and commenced collecting in real earnest. The forest 
mostly grew in broad strips along the sides and tops of the Ioav hills, Avhich had been left 
by the Orang Sungei and Dusuns, being considered by them unsuitable for maize or rice 
plantations; the country Avas mostly covered Avith close impenetrable jungle Avhich had 
sprung up in a feAv months after the harvest. These jungles formed lairs for quantities of 
huge pigs, deer, and often Avild cattle. In the forests Ave found numbers of beautiful birds, 
including Argus Pheasants (A. grayi ), Jungle Partridges ( Arborophila charltoni), some six 
species of Plornbills, including the large Malayan species Buceros rhinoceros , and a solid 
knob-billed bird {Bhinoplax vigil). Forest Kingfishers, Bee-eaters, Sun-birds, Trogons, 
Barbets, all birds of the brightest colours, on some of which Nature seems to have bestoAved 
. g 2 
