DR. O. STAPF ON THE FLORA OF MOUNT KINABALU, 77 
the mountain branch off at an altitude of 5000 to 6000 feet, rapidly descending to the 
bed of the Tampassuk and to an altitude of 1000 to 2000 feet, and thus having enormous 
precipices, 8000 and more feet high, above them. The south-western spurs branch off at 
a higher elevation; yet they are by no means longer. <A few steep conical peaks of 
moderate height, as for instance the Saduk Saduk, near Koung, rise from these spurs, 
west and north-west and at no great distance from Kinabalu. All these spurs seem to 
consist of sandstone in the lower parts. On some of them a rock, designated as 
serpentine, has been found cropping out near the granite cap, and Whitehead mentions 
also “shale.” They are evidently all of the same geognostic character as the main 
range. From the east the lowland of the basin of the Sugut River approaches very 
closely to Mt. Kinabalu. 
As to the geological age of the sandstone and of the Schistose formation of the highland 
we have not much more than suggestions to make, based upon the analogy with other 
parts of Borneo which are better known. But Posewitz (‘ Borneo,’ p. 197 &e.) is probably 
right in attributing the same geological character to this highland which distinguishes 
the greater part of highland Borneo and the tin islands Banca and Billiton, which are 
particularly well known. If this be so, the schistose rock would represent what is called 
the Old Malayan Schistose Formation, which would therefore form the backbone of the 
highland, from which the granite of Kinabalu proper emerges as an isolated mass, the 
product of a local but powerful eruption. The sandstone, on the other hand, which 
skirts the spurs and of which the whole or the greater part of the hilly country between 
Kinabalu and the north coast is composed, would be Tertiary. The Old Malayan Schistose 
Formation was hitherto generally considered as Paleozoic, particularly Devonian, and 
Posewitz places even the eruptions of granite and diorite which are not unfrequent in 
this region in the Devonian period ; but Martin pointed out a few years ago that the 
Schistose formation is much younger, perhaps even Cretaceous. However this may be, 
it does not materially affect the assumption that the highland of Kinabalu is old land. 
According to Posewitz, Borneo was an extensive archipelago in the early Tertiary period, 
consisting of several large and numerous small islands, and among the larger ones was the 
highland of Kinabalu, with Kinabalu itself at its northern end. To judge from the rate 
at which denudation takes place at present the island must have reached a very consider- 
able altitude even then, and the mountains may have been still loftier. The fact that the 
highland of Kinabalu is not only old land, but old highland, is very important with 
respect to the history of its flora. 
I quote below a few passages from Whitehead’s book which, in combination with 
Dr. Haviland’s account on pp. 71-76, will give the reader a better idea of the physiognomy 
of this remarkable mountain and the surrounding landscape. The first passage, taken 
from pp. 58 and 59, refers to the view from near the coast, north-west of Kinabalu :— 
“The country inland is much broken up by sandstone hills of low elevation, generally 
bare of trees, and in this month (February) parched and brown, covered with one of the 
tropical curses, lalang grass. At the back of these lalang-covered hills are others topped 
with forest, sometimes sharp-peaked and rugged; atthe back of all, towering above every- 
thing, is that superbly grand mountain Kinabalu. This wonderful mountain looks 
SECOND SERIES.—BOTANY, VOL. IV. M 
