IN BORNEAN FORESTS [chap. 



land once cultivated, but now abandoned. The ascent was not so 

 bad, and pretty easy walking, but most of the hill -side was covered 

 with the usual uninteresting vegetation which springs up on aban- 

 doned lands. We reached the summit of Gunong Lingga at 10 

 a.m., after a few hours' continuous but easy climbing, during which 

 we were able to keep up a good pace. Only near the top was there 

 any true old forest, and here I noticed several species which I had 

 collected on other mountain summits, such as Dacrydium, Podo- 

 carpus, Dammara, and the Mattang Eugeissonia (E.insignis, Becc). 

 There was a fine view of the tortuous course of the river lying 

 beneath us. On the rocks at the summit, which, like the rest of the 

 mountain, were of sandstone formation, I found some nests of Collo- 

 calia, but they were not of the edible kind, being composed of moss 

 with only just sufficient of the gelatinous substance to hold it 

 together. 



The descent only took us about three hours, and at 3 p.m. 

 we were back at Kranji. There we had not long to wait for the ebb 

 tide, and with its aid we reached Banting in another three hours, 

 in time to have supper with Mr. Chambers. 



All I now required was a guide and a boat large enough to take 

 us a one-day's journey to the landing place, whence our overland 

 march across to the Samarahan was to commence. But the good 

 missionaries were unable to procure this for me. I must confess that 

 this surprised and disappointed me greatly, for I had had no such 

 difficulty whilst travelling amongst remote and savage tribes. 

 Everywhere boats had been freely and willingly given to me ; and 

 I certainly never should have expected a refusal of so small a favour 

 at Banting, where for years missionaries had dwelt and exerted 

 their influence. When I bid good-bye to my otherwise most kind 

 hosts I felt rather ruffled and indignant. 



With my men, Sahat and Bakar, and the two Dyaks from the 

 Rejang, I went down to the Dyak houses by the river, where I 

 had seen the sort of boat I wanted. Without further ado I had it 

 put into the water by my men, placed my small amount of luggage 

 in it, and telling my men to take the first paddles they found, 

 got in and started. Meanwhile people had gathered on the bank, 

 and the owners of the boat protested ; but a " ringgit " (dollar) I 

 threw them was sufficient to quiet them, and I ordered my men to 

 paddle on. 



I had certainly overcome the main difficulty, but without a 

 guide my journey was no easy one, for the Lingga river soon loses 

 itself in a maze of swamps, splitting up into innumerable intricate 

 channels, through which without a guide it is almost impossible to 

 find one's way. I hoped, however, to meet some one who could act 

 as pilot on the way. After having paddled up that portion of the 

 river which I had gone over on my trip to Gunong Lessong, as the 



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