Page:Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society (IA journalofstra85861922roya).pdf/194

 floated on down stream, we passed some sambhur (Rusa) drinking at the water's edge; they never moved as we went by—a sure sign that no human beings lived anywhere near.

We shot several rapids without mishap during the morning and were becoming fairly confident of our skill (or luck) in this somewhat thrilling pastime. A bad rapid, known as Jeram Tahan Badak, however, proved our undoing. There appeared to be a kink in this as we could not see the end. Clifford led, cach raft following at a few minutes' interval. The rush of water was terrific. As we swept round the corner, we saw Clifford and his raft high up on a rock; he and his party frantically gesticulated to us to keep to the left: S'man my leader, drove his pole in hard in front of my raft, hat to no purpose; the raft was on it at once and out he shot; he came out bobbing in front of us, while we swept on towards Clifford. 1 just managed to haul him up as we crashed on to the rock. We could do nothing to stop the third raft from the same fate. When we took stock we found we could make two whole rafts out of our bamboos, but, worst luck of all, we had lost our only remaining fowl—a white one, which we had carefully kept for the last.

(Easter Day).—Floated on down stream all day. Lost our cooked food at a rapid. The rafts became so knocked about they would scarcely float. There were no bamboos available for mending them, but we managed to patch one with a small meranti tree. Slept the night at Kuala Som.

. We started early, getting along fairly well until we came to another bad rapid, Jeram Mena. Here Clifford came to grief. He and his raft upset; he lost everything except his cork mattress; all the rice was spoilt. We managed, however, to put together a small raft out of the wreck, on which we sent on two men to try and find the boat, which Owen, the District Officer at Kuala Tembiling, had undertaken to send up the river to meet us.

The rest of us spent some time diving to try and recover Clifford's revolver etc., but a wonderful rainbow appeared, with one end touching the place where all the things were sunk; the Malays thereupon ceased their efforts as they said the spooks had taken the things. It rained hard and we remained there cold and miserable.

Three dug-outs turned up at 8 a.m. and we pushed off on the final stage of our journey, glad to think that the end was in sight, but at the first rapid we all upset. At Kuala Tekal, where the Tekal joins the Tembiling River we found our boat. Further on down, at Kuala Tembiling, Duff and Owen were waiting for us at the house of Panglima Kakap, together with a huge curry. Scent had been sprinkled liberally over plate, spoon and fork, but our hunger made light of such trifles.