26 
AN EXPEDITION TO THE BAH COUNTRY. 
We proceeded on up the Baram River for two more 
days, until one could easily jump across it from bank to 
bank, and then turned inland and marched in a south¬ 
westerly direction. By this we saved going all round the 
large bend the Baram River makes to the north. Here 
also our large Kaiabi.t escort left us, and we parted with 
many friendly farewells and cheers. 
It was very interesting travelling now, as our route 
was all through the oldest jungle, absolutely untouched 
by the hand of man. One day just before crossing the 
Manaleh River, a tributary of the Baram, a large rhinoceros, 
charged right into the vanguard and unfortunately got 
away after being stabbed by a Kay an spear. The views 
we got from the tops of mountains were beautiful. This 
was much the roughest part of the whole journey and 
as the Kayans were anxious about being attacked by 
a powerful Kenyah tribe, the Uma Lims, in Dutch 
Borneo, they hurried us along at a good pace. On the 
third day a body of men whom I had sent on ahead to 
select a place for the night’s encampment, came 
charging back with the news that they had come on the 
tracks of a large party evidently from over the border. 
Orders were at once given for the force to close in, and, 
having put out guards all round, we encamped where we 
were in the pouring rain. The next morning we pro¬ 
ceeded on and came across the tracks which had been 
reported and counted traces of where about forty men 
had rested. We pressed on and arrived at Balong River 
that night, two marches from Lio Mato, where the head of 
navigation is, and where we were to meet a relieving 
party under Mr. King, Assistant Resident. 
On the way we found further traces of the supposed 
hostile party, but were reassured by finding remains of 
such civilized goods as Huntley and Palmer's Cabin 
biscuits and sardine tins, and also a copy of the “Over¬ 
land Daily Mail.” When we arrived at Lio Mato by a 
forced march the next night, I found that the supposed 
hostile party were some Kayans under Mr. King, who 
was trying to meet me on the road. They had, however, 
followed up the banks of Baram and so just missed us, 
but meeting a party of Kalabits turned back and arrived 
on the next day. 
