Through Central Borneo An Account Of Two Years' Travel In The Land Of The Head-Hunters Between The Years 1913 And 1917 By Carl Lumholtz
- Page 165 of 489 - First - Home
This Should Have Been Done At The
Start, But The Malays Always Like To Take Their Chances.
Though the
remaining prahus did not present such exciting spectacles, nevertheless
the scene was uncommonly picturesque.
After nine hours of heavy work,
during most of which the men had kept running from stone to stone dragging
rattan cables, we camped on a sand-ridge that ran out as a peninsula into
the river. At one side was an inlet of calm, dark-coloured water into
which, a hundred metres away, a tributary emptied itself into a lovely
waterfall. A full moon rose over the enchanting landscape.
At half-past six in the morning we started for the next kiham, the
so-called Kiham Mudang, where we arrived an hour later. This was the most
impressive of all the rapids so far, the river flowing between narrow
confines in a steady down-grade course, which at first sight seemed
impossible of ascent. The river had fallen half a metre since the day
before, and although most kihams are easier to pass at low water, this one
was more difficult. The men, standing in water up to their arms, brought
all the luggage ashore and carried it further up the river. Next the
prahus were successfully pulled up, being kept as near land as possible
and tossed like toys on the angry waves, and pushed in and out of small
inlets between the big stones. In three hours we effected the passage and
in the afternoon arrived at Tumbang Djuloi, a rather prettily situated
kampong on a ridge along the river.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 165 of 489
Words from 44055 to 44320
of 132281