in my face from the sea by a frightful wind—a tornado, in f a e t - I
thought I should have been blown away; and the thunder was simply
fearful, the lightning blinding.
Your ever loving son,
, F r a n k .
V.
On the 1st of November he writes in admiring terms
of Governor Leys, of Labuan, and sends a photograph of
him, | taken by myself, and a very bad one; but when
I get my laboratory put up, I shall be able to take much
better ones.” Then he refers to a short article he has
written on Labuan, which he fears is not good enough
for the Century. “ Governor Treacher,” , he says,
is very kind, and Mrs. Treacher charming. I enclose
some other photographs. Witti is not popular here,
or with anybody, but I shall judge for myself. I
am going to Tampassuk some time to see him. Could
you send me out some more water-colours, note-books,
insect-collecting boxes, sticking-plaster, some tubes
of chloride of gold, porcelain ebonite trays, eau de
Cologne, &c. ? ”
On the 14th of November he announces that he is
to " go to Witti and Everett at Abai. Witti, after our
consultation, then goes to Papar to explore. There
is a new Resident at Papar. Everett and I go up
the coast to the oil at Marudu Bay. The borino-
machine has arrived in the Royalist from Singa^
pore, and, I think, my cartridges. Your two letters,
Oct. 6th and Sept. 27th, have also arrived.
Never think all the advice you can give me is
ever a bore. I am so glad to get letters. My two
months’ expedition is organized. I have six men, and
more if necessary, and a practical English workman,
from Bath, who was in the employ of the Labuan Coal
Company for some time. He is my aide-de-camp. His
name is Smith.” . . . . At a later date he sends the
following sketch :—
Kudat, North Borneo, January 17th, 1882.
My d e a r F a t h e r ,—My answers to your last letters you will get
after this, as they have gone to Sandakan by mistake. I have just
returned, or rather been driven back, from an expedition up the
Bongon River, Marudu Bay. The rain was too much, and as the
whole country was flooded, further progress was impossible. . My
aide-de-camp is still searching for coal at Siquati, and I go on a long
expedition up into the interior next month. Don’t be afraid about
me, my pistols carry considerable weight. The story of my expedition
up to Timbong Batu is rather interesting, especially the way I got
back. My party consisted of F. H. Abdul (my hoy), whom I shall
perhaps bring home; Fareich, Houssa, two Arab policemen; Bilal, a
Suluman ; and Bablogan, a Bajow. After great difficulties we made
our way through the sopping wet jungle, sinking often above our
knees in mud and slush. When we got to the Dusuns, at Timbong
Batu, the Bongon River was about thirty feet wide; hut here it
began to rain in torrents, and soon the stream was as many yards
wide and twenty or thirty feet deep, rushing along at ten to thirteen
miles an hour. Here I remained shut up four. days; rain all the
time without a moment’s stop. I only got one hour to investigate
the river bed, and then all it yielded was quartz with pyrites, which
may be auriferous. Higher up the stream, at Kaparkan, perhaps I