your friends who had settled
himself there. Not knowing at first what the cold clammy thing
was, I jumped up, and everybody else jumped up too, to see what
was the matter; for it might have been a snake, you know!
Good-bye.

[Footnote 8: The real name is _Rafflesia Arnoldi_. See page 343,
vol. i., "Raffles' Life and Journals."]

* * * * *

December 1, 1862.

MY DEAREST MAB,

Uncle told me of your walk with him to West Hyde Church, and how
you made believe to get to Sarawak and see mamma walking in the
verandah. You are much better off in the cold December air of
England, than you would be in this sultry place, for all its
green beauty and never-failing flowers. I had rather you carried
the roses in your cheeks than have them in the garden all the
year round. Last month papa went to visit the Quop Mission,
where Mr. and Mrs. Abi and their little baby, and your old Ayah
Fatima, live. To get there he goes down the Sarawak River and
up the Quop River, then lands at a Malay village, from whence
there is a walk of three or four miles, up and down pretty hills
and across Dyak bridges, and over paths made of two bamboos tied
together, with a muddy swamp on either side. Then you come to
the mission-house which papa has built, and to Mr. Chalmers' old
house, which at present serves as the church, and to some long
Dyak houses. Papa baptized twenty-four men, women, and girls,
and confirmed nineteen people who had been baptized by Mr.
Chalmers. The old Pangara, one of the principal chiefs, was
baptized, and three of his grown-up sons, and one little
grandson whom the old man held in his arms. We had made white
jackets for the baptized, but the old Pangara had not quite made
up his mind, fearing the ridicule of the other elders of the
tribe, till papa talked to him; so there was no jacket for him,
and papa gave him a clean white shirt, round the skirt of which
we tied his chawat, a very long waist-band which wraps round and
round the body, and that was all! no trousers, and very funny he
looked; but papa was too rejoiced at his becoming a Christian,
to laugh at him. These people will all be Christians soon. They
come to Mr. and Mrs. Abi, morning, noon, and night, to be
taught, and there are two daily services; so the missionaries
have ple