after the steam-launch left, managed to fix up themselves
well with *.* kajangs,” and to light a good fire.
tune soaking; but to Trank, in his ‘ gay ’ youth, the whole adventure
was what might he called a ‘ lark,’ and in spite of dripping garments
and soaked tent and stores, he was beaming with delight on his first
step of ‘life in the hush.’ I got his canteen out and cooked him a
‘ Gold Coast ’ stew. I used to superintend the kitchen of our ‘ three-
officer-company mess ’on the march to Coomassie in 1874, and remembered
what a good thing a camp stew used to he. To Frank this was
intensely interesting and amusing, and I found him a ready pupil in
the art. In spite of the pouring rain, which seemed determined to
spoil all our cooking, we prepared quite a nice little feast, to which we
all did full justice, as any one can fancy—a real ducking being a
tremendous appetizer. Having finished our dinner, and wound up-
the repast with a ‘ dhrop of the erathur,’ just to keep off the damp,
Witti and I prepared to return to our ship, and after a hard row got
off to her, waving adieux to the ‘ petroleurs ’ we had left dripping,
hut cheery, on shore. By this time a heavy sea was running, and we
had to steam against it in the teeth of the wind, and very had weather
we made of it. At times the little launch positively stood still, and
seemed to shake her head at the opposing elements. I t was close on
3 a.m. before we got back to Abai, for besides making the very slowest
way against wind and sea, we unluckily, in the dark, ran past the
mouth of the Abai harbour, and did not discover our mistake until
we had gone on over two miles. Luckily, Witti was an excellent
sailor in every sense, and we got in without mishap. Anything like
the knocking about we had I have never experienced. Amidst the
whistling wind and drenching rain I wondered how the Sequati party
was getting on, and whether the tent had given in, and if Frank and
company were searching the neighbouring bush for their scattered
properties and seeking shelter there from the elements. However, we
afterwards heard that they had had a fair night, and had made much
better weather of it on shore than we had at sea. The bush at the
mouth of the Sequati River is of the low mangrove order, backed up
farther inland by the regular forest jungle and the low hills, covered
with Lalang grass, that stretch right away to the mountain range. The
mouth of the river is protected from the westerly weather by a small
red-earthed point jutting out into the sea, the entrance to the river
being covered by a bar. The passage in, winds through rocks, making
There was a tremendous sea at the time on the bar,
and, as night drew on, this sea increased. My sensations
on camping out for the first time on a wild coast,
far from all civilization, were very curious. The picturesque
natives, with their swarthy complexions,
seated round their fires, the wild breakers roaring on
the beach fifty yards away from my tent, the sound
of insects in the adjacent jungle, all these things
made up an impressive and,1 to me, novel experience.
My policemen killed two centipedes, and the
insects were rather a nuisance. The strata on the
beach, I noticed, dipped at a very high angle. I was
rather disappointed with the quantity of petroleum
floating on the river, but a good quantity of gas seemed
to be bubbling up at the spring (? Co2 cH4sH2). Smith
found oil extending from strata just above the oil in
the river. This night the men did not want to watch.
I made them take two hours apiece, and after a little
difficulty they acquiesced.
The next day was Sunday. I got up at five o’clock;
the morning very fine. I felt most uncomfortable in
my tent.- All the canvas was hanging down, owing
to the ropes giving way.. Started Smith and the men
making a house the first thing in the morning. The
men were felling wood Ml day. The heat was intense,
and at noon the thermometer stood at 92° in my te n t,
The men worked well, and by two o’clock I had a good
a rather picturesque spot, the break of the sea over the bar and rocks
varying the eternal monotony of the lone sea-shore, and, in spite of all
the disagreeables, I felt sure Frank would be pleased. Shortly after
this little excursion, I returned to Labuan, having been summoned to
meet Colonel Crossman, R.E., who was expected out to report on the
coast defences of Borneo.”