Sir James Brooke, hearing that there was much confusion in the interior, from the numerous freshly-arrived Chinese, and from the Dayaks being alarmed by this sudden influx into their neighbourhood, started with a party to visit it. We soon reached Siniawan, the little Chinese trading town I have previously described, which was but now advancing to importance. We continued our course up the river to Tundong, where there is a ghàt used by the gold-working company to land their supplies. Nearly all the gold that is worked in Borneo is done by kunsis, or companies, which sometimes numbered several thousand men; in fact, they say that at Montrado nearly the whole of its Chinese population and that of the neighbourhood, estimated at 50,000 men, were included in one kunsi. Generally, however, they consisted, as at Sarawak, of a few hundred members, though they might still be in connexion with the parent company. The great influx of Chinese had now, however, swelled the Santei Kiu kunsi to inconvenient dimensions. At Tundong we found a few store-houses and a very tolerable path leading over to Bau, the principal Chinese settlement. The views on either side of us, as we advanced, were sometimes exceedingly picturesque; for, as we reached the summits of low hills, a fine undulating country was spread out beneath us. The path led through shady forests, then open Dayak clearings, along the sides of hills, and over pretty streams spanned by very primitive bridges. As we approached the town of Bau we met a band of Chinese musicians who had come forth to greet us, and gun after gun was discharged in honour of the rajah’s visit. Our procession was a very motley one, half a dozen Englishmen, followed by a long line of Malays, Chinese, and Dayaks, marching in Indian procession, some carrying spears, others muskets, or flags. At last we reached the kunsi’s house, prettily situated in the valley of Bau, which was on two sides flanked by black-looking perpendicular hills. The house itself was a substantial one, built of ironwood posts and good planks, and roofed with excellent ironwood shingles.