the Sarawak River. About a hundred miles west of that is Cape
Datu, the most western point of Borneo. Then for two hundred miles there
is a chain of islands extending to the north-west, which is our course.
These are the Natuna Islands; the largest one takes the same name, and
is forty miles long. There are several other small islands north of this
one, and if the weather came on very bad we could make a lee under one
of them."

"Channel, sir!" shouted Clingman.

"I think you have got an idea of the whole thing, and we have a couple
of days to think of it," said the captain, as he rose from his seat. "I
will leave the chart here, and you can all study it."

Scott went forward to the wheel. He had caused a red rag to be tied to
the top of a screw-pine while the sampan was looking for a channel
through the lake, and Clingman had stopped the boat abreast of it. The
captain took the helm himself; and he had carefully observed various
marks, and obtained the bearings of the mountain, and other prominent
objects which might assist him in taking the steamer through the shallow
lake. He started her at once, and rang the speed-bell confidently, as
though he had been through the lake a dozen times before.

It was sunset when the boat entered the narrow river, and they were
called to supper. Clinch was placed at the wheel. It was a good moon,
and the boat continued on her course till she came to the Dyak village
where they had visited the long-house. She had been seen or heard as she
approached; and the whole village was on the shore, including Mr. Eng.

"We are not going to lie up to-night," said Captain Scott when asked to
land. "We are somewhat in a hurry to get back to Kuching, and we shall
run down to Simujan this evening."

"I am going in the morning, Captain," added the agent.

"I will tow you down, and you can sleep on board if you wish."

"Thank you; my men will come down with the sampans to-morrow, and I
gladly accept your offer," replied Mr. Eng. "But I must first go over to
the _pangah_."

"To what? Will it take long?" inquired the captain.

"The pangah, or head-house of the village. I left my portmanteau there,
and must get it."

"The head-house! May we go with you? for we did not stop to look at it
when we were here before."

"Certainly you may go with me; I will have some torches so that you can
see it as well as in the daytime," replied the agent, as he started with
the cabin party, attended by four D