The sun had not yet sunk beneath the western horizon before the deputies had started on their journey. The inhabitants of kotta Djangkan, who during the last few days had been in a whirl of excitement, gradually returned to their normal mode of living. Nothing was left to remind them of the siege and its incidents save the body of the poor woman, the victim of the crocodile. While that remained in the kotta only the melancholy sound of the titih would be heard. The noise and revelry of yesterday had given place to silence and perfect calm, and the contrast seemed to spread an air of desolation over the place. CHAPTER XIII. PREPARATION FOR THE JOURNEY—AN EMIGRATION—THE FISHING—A DAYAK TRIBUNAL—THE FINGER TEST—THE PROOF WITH THE LANCE—WIENERSDORF FINDS HAMADOE A TREASURE—LA CUEILLE DISCOVERS A COAL BED—A MISUNDERSTANDING—THE GOLD FEVER. Following upon the excitement and activity of the last few days, a short period of repose was truly welcome to all the denizens of the kotta. The Europeans, especially, found it desirable to take a thorough rest after their recent exertions before commencing preparations for the resumption of their journey. They were now to be accompanied by a whole colony consisting of one hundred and fifty souls, women and children included. The distance to be traversed was not very great, kotta Djangkan being separated from kotta Rangan Hanoengoh by about ninety-three miles, as the crow flies. In a territory, however, like the upper Dayak country, the windings of the main road are so numerous as almost to double the distance. Johannes kept hurrying them on, impressing upon the minds of the simple Dayaks that time was worth more than gold, and explaining that if the members of the deputation should be unsuccessful and the Dutch determine to return to the upper Kapoeas they might be there sooner than expected. Having at last convinced them of the necessity for despatch, the first thing he thought of was the means of transport. The Kapoeas, in the absence of great droughts, is easily navigable as far as Kiham Hoeras, situated at half a day’s journey beyond kotta Sambong. But at the first ebb-tide, or rather first acceleration of the tide, the great difficulties of a journey into the upper country begin. Then only a small craft can be employed and the utmost care is necessary in its management. There were plenty of rangkans and djoekoengs at kotta Djangkan. All provisions and portable goods were placed in baskets made of woven rattan, shaped like inverted cones, about seventy-five inches high, tapering from forty inches across the opening to twenty-five inches at the bottom. These baskets are lined with waterproof bark and are further provided with tight-fitting lids.