At 11.20 we again got under way, and soon reached Naga Surei, the first stone rapid: to the Orang Kaya Upit this place had a fearful interest; some years since about a hundred of his countrymen came down the river to trade in wax, and on their return stopped at this pebbly bank to cook, and while a party went inland to hunt, others collected wood. Suddenly three or four hundred Kayans came sweeping round the point, and were on them before they could recover from their surprise; seventy lost their lives, but thirty escaped. We stopped for the night at 1.45, as the men pulled too late yesterday, and we must prepare for the rapids and freshes that may be expected: so I have sent them in inland to collect poles, and rattans for making ropes to secure us at night during freshes. It is a good plan whilst travelling in Borneo to make it a general rule to stop by 2 p.m., as one is never sure of not having showery weather after that, and unless the men have proper time to erect the tents and prepare the evening meal whilst fine, they don’t work willingly. (This journey will show what exceptions are required to general rules.) The sky is covered with broken clouds, with occasional patches of blue. I am afraid we shall have more rain, and the river is high enough already, though that is better than being very low until we get into the interior, where the rush of waters after heavy rain is terrific. I think a traveller in Borneo will notice how few spots there are where birds are to be observed; whilst writing this line a little bird has perched itself before me, and by its song would induce me to alter what I have written, but notwithstanding this appeal, I reiterate that birds are but seldom seen. At certain hours and places a few pigeons or doves, more rarely crows; along the banks an occasional wagtail or kingfisher, and a songster in the trees above sometimes attracts your attention. A solitary teal now and then rises from the least frequented rivers, and the kite sails slowly above us. Hornbills are seen round mountains, and sparrows abound in grassy plains near the sea; some species are now and then abundant, as a white crane (padi bird, or Kanawei), and various kinds of curlew (pimpin), but on the whole, birds are rare. In some districts pheasants and partridges are caught in snares, but as they are birds which merely run along the surface of the ground, flying being almost out of the question in the thick underwood, they are only noticed when brought in by the natives. Monkeys in the northern part of Borneo are also rarely observed. In the Limbang river I have seen but few: an occasional baboon, a few wawahs in the Madalam branch, and a large reddish monkey at about 1,000 feet up Molu. At Kina Balu I do not remember any. In Sarawak, however, they are plentiful.