AN EXPEDITION TO MOUNT KIN A BALU. 53 



tweeii the house and the river, whilst I, with my men from 

 Singapore, slept inside. 



Tuesday, March IJfth. We left the Chinaman's house at 

 about 7 a.m., walking through an open cultivated plain, passing 

 many buffaloes grazing there who were apparently on the 

 best of terms with flocks of snow-white herons who stalked 

 about between them, or stood on their broad backs. We reach- 

 ed Menkaladai at 8 a. m., and soon after arrived at the foot of a 

 long chain of hills. The ascent was steep and slippery, some- 

 times passing through old jungle, more often through high 

 bamboo, lalang and fern. We rested on the top of the hill, and 

 refreshed ourselves with delicious water from the branches of 

 a creeper, called Pokok Gunatol by the natives, which the men 

 cut off with their parangs, for every man was thus armed, 

 some also carrying spears in addition. We marched on, and 

 reached Kappa at 1.30 p.m. This is a miserable village of four 

 or five houses in the midst of the jungle, with no attempt at a 

 clearing, but plenty of filth and pigs about. We settled down 

 in a house adorned with ancient skulls of deer and wild boar. 



Wednesday*, March loth. We left Kappa at <s a.m., and 

 walked along mountain ridges Through bamboo, fern, and deep 

 grass, or occasional forest. Drizzling rain set in soon and lasted 

 for some hours. In the afternoon we passed through several 

 clearings indicating the vicinity of a village, and reached Kala- 

 wat at 4 p.m.. though some of the men only turned up at 6 p.m. 

 This was a small but picturesque village, looking like an oasis 

 in the wilderness around : an open grassy space with granite 

 boulders lying about, and clumps of coco-nut palms shading the 

 houses. The houses, however, were few, about five, and small, 

 and their unpromising interiors together with the fineness of the 

 night induced us to pitch our tent and camp outside. Many of 

 the men did likewise. Malagup showed himself useful by buy- 

 ing for us a fowl and a joint of bamboo full of honey for seven 

 cents. 



Thursday, March 16th. About 2 a.m. I was awakened by 

 a heavy thunderstorm. I felt safe and comfortable in my tent 

 (lent by the P. W. D.. Singapore), till suddenly a little rain came 

 trickling through my blanket, and I roused myself to find that it 

 was pouring into the tent which w r as supposed to be waterproof. 



