ntly on the watch. Sarebus,
another large Dyak town, he advised me not to visit, as they were
inimical to his government, and a skirmish had lately taken place
between them and some of his subjects.

"_18th, Sunday._--Performed service. In the evening walked ashore,
but the jungle was wet after rain. Every day or night since arriving
it has rained, sometimes in torrents, at others in showers, and the
sky has been so obscured that no observations can be obtained. The
thermometer never ranges above 81 deg., and sometimes stands at 59 deg..

"At twelve at night we were surprised by a boat sent from the rajah,
to say he was taken ill, and wanted some physic. We dispatched our
surgeon, but it was found impossible to admit him into the sacred
precincts of the seraglio, and he returned with the information that
the rajah was asleep.

"_21st._--Our fleet were in readiness before daylight, and by five
o'clock we left Kuching, [3] and dropped down the river. The Pangeran
Illudeen and the Panglima, both in prahus, accompanied us, and with
our long-boat (the Skimalong) formed quite a gay procession. The prahu
of the Pangeran pulled twelve paddles, mounted two brass swivels, and
in all had a crew of about twenty men. The Panglima's boat likewise
carried a gun, and had about ten men; while the Skimalong mounted
an iron swivel, and carried six Englishmen and one of our Singapore
Malays. With this equipment we might be pronounced far superior to
any force of the rajah's enemies we were likely to meet.

"We passed from the Sarawak river into the Morotaba. At the junction
of the two streams the Morotaba is narrow; but at no great distance,
where it meets the Quop, it becomes wider, and in some places more
than half a mile across.

"The river Quop is a fine stream, fully, as far as I could see,
as broad as the Morotaba or Sarawak. Beyond the junction of the
Quop and Morotaba the latter river divides into two branches--the
left-hand one, running to the sea, retains the name of Morotaba,
while the right is called Riam.

"The Riam is a fine stream; at its junction with the Morotaba it
takes that name, as the Morotaba does that of Sarawak where they
join. Low mangrove or Nepa palm banks characterize these streams;
and occasionally slight eminences, with timber, are to be seen. The
highest hill is about 3000 feet high, called Matang, and is at the
point of junction between the Morotaba and Riam.

"The next river on the starboard hand