1843.] ASCENT OF THE MOUNTAIN. 25 



be retained on these conditions, until Mr. Brooke can 

 put it into better hands. The gold is obtained by wash- 

 ing, from a very loose disintegrated granitic debris, con- 

 taining detached crystals of quartz (dodecahedrons, or 

 six-sided pyramids, base to base), pyrites, antimony, and 

 traces of tin. I have been informed that late experiments 

 prove their current of water to be too powerful, and that 

 they lose a very large portion of light gold. 



On the morning of the 13th, we returned to Toon- 

 dung, and thence by boat to Siniavan, where we passed the 

 night; on the 16th, after an early breakfast, we started 

 for the Dyak village of Sarambo. We were apprised that 

 this excursion would put both our walking and climbing 

 to the test, but as I suspected that our land brethren 

 must have under-rated our powers, I had treated the 

 matter rather in jest; indeed, we were all simple 

 enough to carry our guns, in the hope of shooting objects 

 worthy of preservation. As we approached the base of 

 the mountain, which I should describe as a cone com- 

 pressed literally with an oval base, it presented the ap- 

 pearance of prepared ground, that could readily be main- 

 tained by a small power against a formidable opponent. 

 The advances appeared to proceed by terraces, and the 

 access to each guarded by steps, up which we could only 

 ascend by notched logs ; the first were easily overcome, 

 but as we proceeded they became more frequent and 

 more slippery, the angular edges being worn away, and, as 

 fewer intervals for breathing occurred, our strength rapidly 

 diminished. I notice these objects in a war-like view, as 

 the attacking or scaling party would be but a poor match 

 even for the female garrison left in the village, by the time 



