ch. xiv.] Cola Nights. 283 



o'clock, Avhen we wrapped our rugs around us to retire 

 for the night. My thermometer stood at 45° just outside 

 the cave, and during the night it had descended to 38°. 

 I awoke during the night quite stiff with cold, although I 

 lay close to a good fire. My rugs had slipped from my 

 shoulders, and I was glad to fold them tightly around me, 

 and to put more fuel on the fire. It was a lovely moon- 

 light night, the light being so strong on the branches- 

 opposite our cave as to make them look as if covered 

 with snow. Mr. St. John mentions having seen a sort of 

 hoar-frost here during one of his journeys. The great 

 fall looked like a silver streak down the rocky mountain 

 side opposite, and the rush of its waters into the chasm 

 below comes quite clearly through the night air. 



August 18tlt. — While Jeludin boiled the water for our 

 coffee this morning, I carved my initials on the soft red 

 sandstone wall of our cave, and then clambered up a tree 

 just opposite to try and get a better view. All is mist 

 and cloud below us except seaward, where a strip of the 

 coast line and the rivers towards Menkabong and Gaya 

 are visible. I can see the great fall very plainly coming 

 down the face of the rock opposite, just where it dis- 

 appears into the wooded gully, below there is a magni- 

 ficent grove of tree ferns, and as I am fully a thousand 

 feet - above them, I can look down on their expanded 

 clusters of fresh green fronds, and the effect in the morn- 

 ing sunlight is past all description. About 7'30 a.m. we 

 started on our downward journey, at first climbing the 

 ridge through roots and branches which were notched 

 here and there for foothold. On reaching the path 

 above, a few minutes' walk brings us to a series of 

 great steps and an open space or two covered with 

 jutting rocks and boulders, sedges, low bushes, and the 

 great pitcher-plants. Here we made a short stay collect- 



