ch. xiv.] Tampassuk. 301 



ward voyage. We ourselves looked after the welfare of 

 our plants, and packed up our roots and seeds carefully. 

 A party of men were sent to the sandstone hills to pro- 

 cure roots of the white gardenia before alluded to. At 

 7*50 we obtained a beautiful view of the mountain, the 

 top crags, ridges, and water-falls being very distinct in 

 the clear morning sunlight. I could not resist sitting 

 down on the verandah and sketching the scene. Although 

 my sketch was true as regards outline, nothing but colour 

 could represent anything of the beauty of this scene — it 

 is a subject worthy of Walton's skill and labour. The 

 tints of light are ever changing in the morning's sun, and 

 the cloud strata lie like downy pillows on the bosom of 

 a giant. No wonder the simple Dusun, gazing on this 

 mountain in all the radiance of its early morning glory, 

 has idealised it as the heaven of his race ! 



A small herd of water-buffaloes have come down to the 

 opposite side of the river to drink, and I was surprised 

 to see that most of them had short stumpy tails. On in- 

 quiry I am told that the Badjows cut the tails of their 

 riding buffaloes, otherwise they draggle in the mud and 

 dirty water so common here, and then besprinkle the 

 clothing of their masters. The poor beasts must feel 

 their loss sadly in a hot country where mosquitoes and 

 other blood-sucking flies are abundant, but as we cut our 

 sheep's tails short without so good a reason, we must not 

 be the first in this case to throw a stone. 



We gave all our men a rest this afternoon, which they 

 sadly needed, for several of them were nearby exhausted. 

 About four o'clock we were surprised at the return of 

 Mr. Dobree and Mr. Pretyman, who had proceeded no 

 further than the hill just above Sineroup. The Chinese 

 cook of course received orders to augment his food supply, 

 and we spent a very agreeable evening. Mr. Dobree 



