1 74 The Gardens of the Sun. [ch. vim. 



distinct enough to be made the type of a new genus when 

 submitted to the botanical authorities at Kew. It grew 

 in tufts on wet mossy stones, forming rather compact 

 plants a foot in height. The spathe is of a bright rose 

 ■colour, borne on a scape nearly as long as the leaves. I 

 was especially interested in this plant, as I had seen a 

 species singularly like it beside the Haya Haya stream at 

 the foot of Kina Balu. As we approached the summit, 

 we were stopped at one place by a perpendicular wall of 

 sandstone rock, and we had to make a wearisome detour 

 in order to gain the crest. I had been led to explore this 

 hill at all risks, having been told by natives that a golden 

 large-flowered phalsenopsis was here to be found, but after 

 a hot and weary search on rock and tree alike, no trace 

 of any species of this genus could be found ; and as I 

 afterwards offered my informants a month's wages if they 

 would bring me a flower of it without any result, I am 

 inclined to think the thing a myth, like its " bright 

 scarlet" congener. The only thing which consoled me 

 for my disappointment was a beautiful golden-blossomed 

 dendrobium, which has always been rare in our gardens ; 

 and I was also enabled to collect a large number of Vanda 

 Hookeri. This last is the " Golden Duck " orchid of the 

 Brunei Malays, and exists in quantity in the marshes 

 near the river, and always, so far as I saw it, epiphytal, 

 on a slender-stemmed red-fruited pandan. 



This hill is not above five or six hundred feet above 

 the sea, and yet on its crest the air was quite fresh and 

 cool. AVe obtained extensive views from the top over a 

 well-wooded country. Neither pitcher plants nor rhodo- 

 dendrons were seen, although both exist abundantly on 

 the Lawas hills, only a few miles away. In descending 

 a wide detour was made through the forest in search of 

 plants, but distinct forms were rare. On reaching the 



