d have no doubt that with more favorable
light a man might get many. The night's repose in the hut was broken
and uncomfortable, and our people were busy for several hours curing
the flesh of the animal, which is done as follows: first it is slightly
salted, and then burnt over a quick wood-fire in slices or lumps,
and thus keeps for many days, and is very palatable. Seriff Hussein
(formerly of Siniawan) was my companion on this excursion. He had
three followers, while I had three Javanese with me, beside my Bugis
boy Situ, who walks with the best of us. The morning after killing
the deer we ascended the Singe again by a desperately steep path;
and after resting an hour or two, walked to our boats, and descended
the stream to Siniawan. The night was marked by torrents of rain,
thunder, and lightning, which left the roads so bad that I resigned
my intention of walking up to Sarambo, and in the evening dropped
down to Leda Tanah, and tried unsuccessfully for another deer. We
saw some, but could not get near them. Here likewise are plenty of
rice-fields deserted, but which a little labor would bring again
into cultivation. The day following we rejoined the schooner, and,
as usual, found everything at a stand-still on shore.

"I may here mention our house, or, as I fondly styled it, our
palace. It is an edifice fifty-four feet square, mounted upon
numerous posts of the Nibong palm, with nine windows in each
front. The roof (_atap_) is of Nipah leaves, and the floor and
partitions are all of plank: furnished with couches, tables, chairs,
books, &c. the whole is as comfortable as man would wish for in
this out-of-the-way country; and we have, beside, a bathing-house,
cook-house, and servants' apartments detached. The view from the
house to the eastward comprises a reach of the river, and to the
westward looks toward the blue mountains of Matang; the north fronts
the river, and the south the jungle; and but for the uncertainty of
our affairs, I would have had a garden ere this, and found amusement
in clearing and improving. Farewell, I fear, to these aspirations;
our abode, however, though spacious, cool, and comfortable, can only
be considered a temporary residence, for the best of all reasons--that
in the course of a year it will tumble down, from the weight of the
superstructure being placed on weak posts. The original plan was
to have had a lower story, but about this I am now indifferent. The
time here passes monotonousl