ch. xi J On the Mountain. 213 



of the ascent on foot. "We had brought ropes with us, 

 and removing the saddles and other gear we tethered 

 the horses and buffalo to bushes in a little natural 

 meadow where they could make a good meal off the fresh 

 mountain grass. This was a great treat to them, as the 

 coarse herbage of the plains was at this season very dry, 

 and the horses in Meimbong were being fed on cocoa- 

 nut leaves owing to the dearth of other fodder. We 

 descended a gull}', and crossing a little stream com- 

 menced the ascent on foot, leaving a Sulu lad in charge 

 of our goods and animals. We had at first a rough 

 climb over tree roots and loose stones. In one place 

 the ascent was nearly vertical, and the boulders being 

 easily detached from the dry soil, it was dangerous 

 for our followers below. An areca palm bearing l!\rge 

 clusters of small scarlet fruit below a spreading crown of 

 dark green leaves was very handsome, and both ferns and 

 selaginellas were luxuriant in the shade. I collected 

 specimens of all I saw for scientific purposes. Pigeons 

 and paroquets and other birds were seen here on the 

 trees overhead, but although we shot at several and saw 

 them fall, the branches overhead were so dense that they 

 lodged there, and we could not induce any of our fol- 

 lowers to climb for them on account of the deadly tree 

 snakes, which are said to infest the place. 



Our guides did not like the ascent, and tried to make 

 us believe that the point of the ridge was the top of the 

 mountain, but we insisted in pushing further up the ridge 

 and nt length were rewarded by reaching the summit. 

 The air was very fresh and cool here, and by climbing a 

 low-branched tree we obtained splendid views of the sur- 

 rounding plains and hill tops and of the sea. We rested 

 here for some time. A strong-growing species of penta- 

 phragma, bearing pure white flowers in the axils of its 



