wanted one too. I was glad to have the power of thus
easily satisfying him. When I handed the musket to
him before all his people and told him always to help the
white men who came to him, he was visibly delighted, and
looked at the glistening barrel and bright brass-work with
rapture. I also gave him a small supply of ammunition.
He had heard of my shooting down cocoanuts from the
trees, both at Koung and at Kiau, and he desired me to
do this at his village. Smith handed me his rifle, and
luckily for my reputation, I smashed the particular nut
he pointed out to atoms. Here, at this village I took
leave of my old friend “ Kurow,” and gave his little
daughter a Chinese looking-glass, which pleased her
greatly. Another little girl also from Kiau was with her,
and she looked so sorry that she had not one too, although
pleased at her friend’s good fortune, that I could not but
hand her one also, and her dusky face was all sunshine in
an instant. These two girls had walked all the way
from Kiau yesterday perfectly barefoot over rough
ground, rocks, streams, and jungle, carrying heavy loads,
while “ Kurow” carried only his slender-shafted spear.
It is this hard work at an early age which so soon destroys
the lithe figures and tiny hands and feet these
Dusun children so often possess.
Beuhan sent two men with us as guides to Sineroup.
This was a great gain to us, as they knew the road well,
and conducted us by what I may call the “ overland
route, that is, by the hill paths, and in this way we
avoided three or four of the worst crossings. We found
the walking very rough and fatiguing, especially in the
close gullies we had now and then to cross. About ten
o’clock we reached the village of Bundoo on the opposite
hill, and here, while awaiting our men, I sketched the top
crags of the great mountain, of which we obtained an
excellent view, and also made a sketch of some Dusun
tombstones on the. little village green. While waiting, a
woman brought us two young cocoanuts and put them
down before us, so that we might drink, which we were
glad to do, as it was very hot to-day. We gave her a
looking-glass, which she evidently considered a good
price for her fruit. I found these Tampasstik Dusun far
more inclined to be hospitable than their brethren of the
Tawaran.
We passed several tiny hill villages to-day, and some
of them had a neat bamboo-fence and a stile at the entrance
with notched sticks for steps. Some of the houses
are surrounded by luxuriant gardens, each of which contains
kaladi, Indian corn, a castor-oil plant (Ricinus) or
two, cotton bushes, and in each there is invariably a
clump of cocoanut trees, and three or four slenderstemmed
betel-nut palms, while here and there old
stumps are verdant with the betel pepper, the leaves of
which are chewed along with bits of betel-nut, and a few
condiments, such as lime—made from coral reef or shells
—and gambier. Here and there, too, the red-fruited
rose-apple or jambosa was seen. We reached Sineroup
about 3.30, and singularly enough have not had a drop
of rain all day. “ Gantang,” the Orang Kaya, was glad
to see us, and pointed with pride to the new garments he
wore, made from the cloth he had earned by accompanying
us to Kiau.
August %%nd. We left Sineroup and its hospitable
headman this morning, after having arranged with him
for a guide and another buffalo as far as Ghinambaur.
We descended the hill, and after crossing the river two
or three times, which was easily done now, since no rain
had fallen yesterday, we were surprised by meeting a
young Labuan man—whom I had formerly employed. He