ch. ix.] Sandakan. 185 



disturbed a colony of large red monkeys, who were break- 

 fasting on a tall fig-tree in fruit. We clambered up the 

 hill-side and walked along the ridge for some distance. 

 The surface vegetation was very meagre, only a few ferns 

 being obtained, all of which I had seen before, with the 

 exception of a bipinnate form of Blechnum orientalis, 

 having fronds five feet in length. 



We retraced our steps along the ridge and descended 

 near the houses, following for some distance the little 

 stream which supplies beautifully clear and cool water to 

 the houses, and ships which call in here occasionally. This- 

 stream falls over the sandstone rocks about a hundred 

 yards from the houses, to which it is conveyed by a large 

 bamboo aqueduct. Quite near to the rocks a neat little 

 bath house has been erected, and through the upper part 

 of this structure the bamboo water-pipe is carried, and 

 by blocking it up with a plug a delicious shower-bath is 

 obtainable. We sent for our towels and clean clothes 

 from the ship, and enjoyed our morning ablutions very 

 much. The noble Dipteris Horsfieldii was luxuriant on 

 the rocks here, and a fine scarlet ixora was a perfect mass 

 of bloom. While searching for plants on the wet rocks 

 near the bath-house, I was startled by a snake popping 

 its head out of a bunch of herbage just level with my face ! 

 I struck at it with a stick I had in my hand, but it made 

 its escape apparently unhurt, and perhaps more frightened 

 than I was, although I entertain a horror of these crea- 

 tures. Returning to the ship I shot a fine fish hawk as 

 it Hew overhead on its way to the forest. After breakfast 

 we paid Mr. Pryer a visit, and enjoyed looking over 

 splendid collections of Lepidoptera and Coleoptera winch 

 he had made here. Some of the butterflies and beetles 

 were especially fine, and several were supposed to be new 

 to science. He had also a small collection of bird skins 



