to Bongon, as a little stream which we crossed in coming
is now a rushing river. The whole country is flooded,
and still the rain is pouring down in torrents. The
Dusuns are in fear of their houses being washed away,
as the river has risen to within a few feet of the piles.
Early this morning a large buffalo passed down the
stream drowning amid debris of jungle, driftwood, &c.
He was going at ten or twelve miles an hour I should
think. I thought matters might only get worse if we
remained, so at 1.30 we packed our goods on the
three remaining buffaloes (one having escaped), and
left Timbong Batu. We found the jungle almost
impassable. The rain had washed over many trees,
and heavy growths of creepers and thorny weeds,
rendered “ limp ” by the wet, hung about our way. In
many places the cattle-track was entirely wiped out
by the river, and we were obliged to cut a path through
the jungle. T.wice the animals swam in streams
through which we had previously passed, with the
water not above our knees. At 5.30 we arrived at
Datu Ower’s house, quarter-way to Bongon.
x.
Jan. 13th.—Left Datu Ower’s at ten o’clock in a
little prahu with two men and a guide, leaving my other
three men to bring the Karbaus (buffaloes) back to
Bongon overland.
The boat we obtained was small and leaky, and the
stream was rushing along with great violence. We
went down at eight or ten miles an h o u r; one man was
on the look-out all the time for floating timber and
overhanging trees, which every moment we encountered.