286 The Gardens of the Sun. [ch. xiv. 



gotten, as we. nestled cosily in our warm rugs in the glow 

 ■of a sweet wood fire. After our return crowds of people 

 blocked in to see us, and the house resembled a market 

 place, fowls, rice, sweet potatoes, maize cobs, rattan hats, 

 tobacco, wax, caoutchouc, and Dusun gourd-organs of 

 bamboo being among the produce and manufactures 

 •offered. The men squat down in groups, and there is 

 a great deal of talking about the mountain and " Tuan 

 Hillow " (Mr. Low), and " Tuan Bunga," the name by 

 ■which I am known to these people as well as to the 

 Malays of the coast. It is quite a gala night, and the 

 young gu-ls are full of questions about the mountain. 

 My men " Suong " and " Jeludin " told me that the cave 

 on the mountain was a good place to sleep in, as there 

 were no spirits there, adding that on the island at Gaya, 

 and also at Pulo-Tiga they had been afraid to sleep, as 

 the spirits were so many there ! By the first stream we 

 crossed to-day in descendiag the mountain, a pretty pink- 

 flowered impatiens was flowering freely, and on the wet 

 rocks we noticed a tuft of red-berried nertera. On a 

 dripping wet rock here also a very fine trichomanes 

 luxuriates, forming large mat-like masses of black roots, 

 and long finely-cut filmy fronds. Two boys brought in a 

 quantity of ansectochili to-night soon after our arrival, 

 and asked for needles in exchange, which we gladly gave 

 them. The talking and laughter of the natives, who 

 seemed quite pleased at our safe return, lasted until I fell 

 asleep about eight o'clock, how much later I do not know. 

 Previous to this I called " Suong," and bade him teU all 

 the villagers assembled that I intended leaving in the 

 morning, so as to give time for my men to prepare their 

 things, and that the natives, knowing our intentions, might 

 bring in any fowls or rice they wished to sell early ere our 

 departure. 



