the balcony of one of the numerous wooden
houses standing on piles in the river. The bowsprit of one of the
schooners was completely interlaced with the stanchions, ropes, and
railings of our gangway, and it must have been a good stick not to
snap off short. The tide was now much higher than when we came up, but
the temperature had been considerably lowered by the thunderstorm, and
was still further reduced by the rain, which continued to fall
throughout the afternoon, making photography well-nigh impossible. The
Dyaks seemed at first rather frightened by the camera, which they
called 'the engine;' but they were very civil and obliging, and
assumed all sorts of attitudes, warlike and otherwise, for our
edification. Their scanty clothing was elaborately ornamented with
bead-work and embroidery, and the little mats which they carry to sit
down upon were made of exquisitely fine plaited grass-work. Their arms
were highly decorated with human hair of various colours, as well as
with cowries, beads, and little woven balls of Brunei work.

In due time we reached Quop, the highest point to which large vessels
can ascend from the sea. Here we quitted the 'Adeh,' and took all the
party, including the two Dyaks--who were very much astonished, and I
think rather frightened--on board the 'Sunbeam' to tea; after which we
said farewell with regret to our kind friends, and, with the 'Adeh' to
guide us over the treacherous shoals and mud-banks, steamed away,
until we were once more fairly at sea and had lost sight of our pilot
in the gathering darkness.

[Illustration: Kuching]

Tom had another bad night, fancying he had caught the fever, and that
we should all have it from going up the river. I had just persuaded
him to take a sleeping-draught, and try and get some comfortable
sleep, when I heard a tremendous noise on deck. I feared at first
that some of the men, as often happens in these out-of-the-way places,
had been treated to poisonous liquor and were now suffering from the
effects of it; but on running up to make inquiries, and, if possible,
quiet the disturbance, I was just in time to catch sight of _the_ rat,
whose presence on board has only recently been detected, scuttling off
in the bright moonlight. He must have been tempted from his lair on
the top of the deck-house by the fragrant smell of the new pineapples
from Kuching, which were hung in the port cutter, but on venturing
forth he had at once been 'spotted' by one