OF MT. KINABALU AND BRITISH NORTH BORNEO. 9 
Fraser's, and Creagh’s collections, shows widely distributed Indo-Malayan 
types, with the usual immigration flora where European or native settlements 
occur, excepting the coastal swamp forest, which remains untouched by it. 
Of the Kinabalu mountain types of my own collection, which is practically 
limited to the interior, not one is represented in the collections mentioned, 
and the same may be said of the primary high forest formation. The 
whole country with its endless hill ranges, ranging from 3000-5000! is 
covered with what may be called well-worked secondary forest. That is 
to say, it is all thoroughly well known and mapped out into respective 
proprietary zones, by the Murut tribes in the south, and the Dusuns in 
the north. This ownership means that areas are cleared every year for 
the eultivation of the hill padi and other crops. These cultivated areas 
represent more the needs of the whole community rather than individual 
requirements, as they seem to be worked on a definite plan through a series 
of years. 
As the Murut “ campongs” are mostly in the valleys, platforms are erected 
on the temporary clearings in the hills, which may be some distance off. 
These fragile platforms, with only a sloping screen on one side for protection 
against the prevailing wind, hold one or two large jars for arrack, an intoxi- 
eating liquor distilled from the rice, and a few cooking utensils, At harvest 
time the weird music of rhythmic drums sounds all through the still clear 
nights, an expression of primitive hospitality, inviting all and sundry to an 
arrack symposium. Each family spends the necessary time at the necessary 
season on its individual platform in what we may term the communal area for 
the eultivation of the all-important hill rice, which I was told does best on 
the steepest inclines, the finest jungle being always cleared for the purpose. 
I noted that with the Muruts, although accounted a very primitive jungle 
folk, the steeper the inclines the smaller are the areas cleared, and in 
the case of the Dusuns, a very intellectual and industrious race, substantial 
gallery woods were invariably left fringing the water-courses, both admirable 
rules. 
The ubiquitous “ Lalang " grass, generally described as * a tropical curse," 
covers these areas when cultivation ceases, and it struck me that the creeping 
intermatted rhizomes form an admirable binding agent for the surface soil, 
whieh if exposed would be soon washed out by the heavy rains. Nor 
is it permanent, as a jungle growth of certain pushing and more or less 
ombrophobous, large, herbaceous plants and shrubs soon intrudes on the 
* Lalang," which is gradually smothered as soon as shade conditions establish 
themselves, and so facilitate the immigration of the mesophytie surrounding 
forest flora. 
The tops of the ridges, when very steep and occupied by groves of fruit 
trees, do not seem to be interfered with by the natives, who, according to 
