Ch. TIL] EXPEDITION TO THE HILLS. 107 



which pieces they were willing to dispose of for one 

 dollar. 



These people are called by themselves Kibalan, and are, 

 I believe, known by the Chinese as the tame aborigines, in 

 contradistinction to the raw savages which dwell on the 

 mountains, and on the east coast more particularly. These 

 latter are at deadly enmity with the Chinese; while the 

 Kibalans live in close proximity, though isolated from them. 

 An officious half-caste among them informed us that there 

 was another village close by ; so, guided by him, we pro- 

 ceeded about a furlong along the beach, but were rather dis- 

 gusted to find it a Chinese village, differing in no respect 

 from other dirty Chinese villages. 



Eeturning, therefore, to the Kibalan village, the name of 

 which I believe is Shek-fan, we made known to them by 

 signs that we were anxious to visit the mountains, and to 

 meet with the savages. They, however, did their best to 

 persuade us not to go, assuring us that we should be shot. 

 On showing them our revolvers, however, they seemed to 

 think we should be safer; but when we inquired for a guide, 

 one and all declared that their throats would be cut if they 

 ventured among the hills. After considerable parley, the sight 

 of a dollar induced one to accompany us, and, when he had 

 armed himself with his matchlock, we set out ; our guide, 

 however, taking good care to keep in the rear of the party. 

 Crossing some padi fields, and proceeding along a sandy 

 bay to the southward, our path was arrested by rocks, while 

 on our right was a range of hills covered with a seemingly 

 impenetrable forest. . On closer examination, however, we 

 discovered a beaten track, and up it we climbed, through a 

 dense vegetation of tree ferns, camphor trees, etc., among 

 which were some beautiful flowers, and many gay butter- 



