252 The Gardens of tlie Sun.- [ch. xm. 



completed our meal. We "squared up" with our land- 

 lord by paying a fathom of grey shirting and two black 

 Chinese looking-glasses for our house (which we had all 

 to ourselves), firewood, and a nice young fowl for our 

 dinner. About six o'clock I mounted my steed, and a 

 ride of about two hours brought us to the luxuriant fruit 

 groves which surround Ghinambaur. We found a scat- 

 tered village close beside the river, each house having its 

 own clump of cocoanut and other fruit trees. A mottled- 

 leaved alpinia was common beside our route, and a pretty 

 climbing plant with opposite leaves, each bearing a 

 thunbergia-like white flower, was not unfrequently ob- 

 served among the grass and low shrubs. A rynchosper- 

 mum and two species of musssenda were very conspicuous. 

 One of the last-named was a bushy plant two to four feet 

 in height, bearing bright orange-scarlet flowers among its 

 dark glossy foliage, each flower being set off by a pure 

 white bract nearly as large as one's hand. As seen among 

 the grass this plant was very distinct and effective. Its 

 congener is a climbing species not nearly so showy. 



We rested in a Dusun house for an hour awaiting our 

 stragglers, two of whom were sick. Whilst waiting we spread 

 out our rice to dry, as it had become damp, doubtless 

 owing to the drenching rain of yesterday. Our hostess 

 was a rather attractive Dusun girl, whose husband was 

 away on a hunting excursion. She was veiy obliging, and 

 seemed quite pleased at our visit. The house was small 

 but very neat and clean, having, moreover, an air of com- 

 fort about it not often seen in Dusun dwelling's. Among 

 other goods we noticed netting needles of wood, similar 

 in principle to our own, together with excellent fishing 

 nets, weaving instruments, by means of which a strong 

 and durable cloth is made from the macerated fibre of a 

 species of curculigo called " lamba " by the natives. 



