58 
NORTH BORNEO. 
as possible in an old wooden house erected by the Company, which at one time had been 
occupied by the late Mr. Witti (who was murdered by some head-hunting tribes far inland 
some years previously), but was now occupied by a Bajow caretaker, this station having 
been abandoned. 
As usual, the voyage had tried me severely, the sea being very rough, and I a victim 
to mal-de-mer, most of my followers I noticed suffering as well; but I find I had sufficient 
spirit left in me to make an entry in my journal that evening that large fowls cost 20 cents 
each, small ones a dollar for six, kids 60 cents each, and eggs 1 cent each: so provisions 
were apparently cheap in Abai. 
Before going further it will be as well for me to introduce to my readers my native 
contingent. Nyhan, as I have previously stated, was my right-hand man during my 
sojourn in Borneo; the next was one called Lahir, a lanky, sharp-eyed, intelligent 
fellow, a good collector, but not very trustworthy, and afraid of hard work ; no. 3, 
Buckier, a good-natured big man, fat, very ugly, giggling all day like a school-girl, 
but willing to please; the next, Bhaman, good-looking but utterly useless; no. 5, 
Tungal, short, excessively ugly, hard-working and willing to do anything for me, 
remained in my service until -within four days of my leaving for home, when, after all my 
kindness, he left me in the lurch (this is the usual way natives treat their benefactors— 
rather annoying to anyone who fancies he can gain the affection of these people!); no. 6, 
a short man, good-looking, named Hadji Ahmet, was rather a swell, having made the 
pilgrimage to Mecca, well-mannered, and soon under my tuition became an excellent bird- 
stuffer, he also became one of my permanent bird-collectors. The last individual was another 
Bhaman, who acted as my cook and valet; he, like his. namesake, was utterly useless, 
was ugly, dirty, dishonest, and was sacked on the first opportunity after I reached Labuan. 
Now my readers, I trust, have some idea of my escort. 
Abai is a very pretty spot on the north-west coast; the harbour is sheltered from most 
winds except the N.W. by the headland and island already mentioned ; the island at low- 
water is also connected with the mainland by a sandbank. The water is too shallow for 
some distance out for anything but small craft, and even then, before reaching the deeper 
water of the river, the high tide has to be taken advantage of, the river, as usual in these 
parts, being rendered useless for navigation on account of a sandbank or bar which blocks 
the entrance. The river is in reality only a large salt-water creek which winds about among 
the low hills for many miles inland; it is, however, the outlet of several small streams, and 
has been formed by the gradual elevation of the sandstone hills around it, which at one 
time were islands in the sea, like those forming the harbour already mentioned, the supply 
of surface-drainage from the hills being just sufficient to prevent this creek from becoming 
a lake. A fine view of this picturesque swamp, bordered with mangroves and beautified 
with many graceful clumps of nebong and other palms, may be obtained from the neigh¬ 
bouring hills. 
The country inland is much broken up by sandstone hills of low elevation, generally 
bare of trees, and in this month parched and brown, covered with one of the tropical curses, 
lalang grass. At the back of these lalang-covered hills are others topped with forest, 
sometimes sharp-peaked and rugged; at the back of all, towering above everything, is that 
