x] TAPPO KAKAS 



accepted, and we started at n a.m., together with my Malays. 

 After crossing several Chinese orchards we soon found ourselves 

 at the foot of a hill, whence two pathways led to the village of my 

 guides — one crossing over the hill, and the other going round its 

 base. The latter follows the course of the river, here called Sungei 

 T'bia, in whose waters it was necessary to wade most of the way. 

 Fearing that my botanical paper might get wetted if I followed this 

 path, I took the other one, but soon found that, instead of one hill, 

 we had to go up and down several, and, in addition, cross a torrent 

 many times, which was in some places deep and rapid. Indeed, 

 I more than once felt almost carried off my legs by the force of the 

 current, and should certainly have been had not the two Dyaks 

 taken me between them and supported me. They, with their 

 naked feet, could get a good grip of the stones in the river bed, 

 and thus had the advantage over me in my European shoes. 



In various places we crossed over deep ravines on bare bamboos 

 ingeniously bound to the trees on each side, and forming a most 

 elegant suspension bridge (Fig. 26), but much pleasanter, however, 

 to look at than to cross. 



It was nearly dark when we reached the village of Tappo Kakas, 

 On the road I met with a large specimen of that most beautiful of 

 Bornean orchids, Vanda (Renanthera) Lowi, in full bloom. In hot- 

 houses at home this plant produces a profusion of flowers, perhaps 

 even more than in its native land ; but the manner in which it in 

 cultivated, placed erect in a pot, cannot convey any idea of it in 

 its native forests, where, adhering by its roots to the limb of some 

 big branch or to its bifurcation, its leaves shoot upwards, whilst 

 its grand racemes of large flowers, sometimes quite ten feet in length,, 

 hang pendulous below. 



The ground here is very steep and broken, but appears to be 

 of a better quality than the soil near Kuching ; it is abundantly 

 supplied with water, which wells out in every direction, and 

 collects clear and sparkling in the numerous streamlets and 

 torrents. 



At Tappo Kakas I was lodged in a house at the end of the 

 village, which for the time being was deserted, most of the in- 

 habitants being away in the fields clearing the rice of weeds. It 

 was my intention to start from this place, which has an elevation 

 of about 1,150 feet, for the summit of Gunong Pennerrissen, or as 

 I have also heard it pronounced, " Mengrissen." This has been 

 considered one of the highest mountains in Sarawak, but it is cer- 

 tainly inferior to Gunong Poe. Seen from a distance, Mount 

 Pennerrissen does not seem to have any very striking summit, nor 

 to tower much above its neighbours. 



The Dyaks of Tappo Kakas, for some special motive of their 

 own, showed no wish to guide me up the mountain. On the con- 



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