AN EXPEDITION TO MOUNT KINA BALU. 57 



our way lay almost exclusively inside the bed of the river which 

 consisted of a never-ending- series of foaming' cataracts rushing 

 over boulders of granite, and we had to force our way through 

 the one and climb over the other. The men seemed dishearten- 

 ed, and the guides recommended waiting a day for the water to 

 go down. This seemed an empty excuse at the time, but a little 

 experience showed us later on how very variable the height of 

 the water is in these mountainous regions. We still plodded on, 

 and after many difficulties and some mishaps — one of which was 

 the breaking of the ground glass of my camera —we reached 

 at 1 p.m., a spot on the bank of the river sheltered by a huge 

 slanting rock. Here we camped. Aneroid 2150.' 



Wednesday, March 22nd. I slept little during the night, 

 being kept awake by the comparative cold (about G5°F.) and the 

 roaring of the river. Aneroid, G.30 a.m : 2050'. We started at 

 8.25 a.m.. proceeding again chiefly in the bed of the Kadamaian. 

 The cataracts and boulders were, if anything, worse than the day 

 before. My sturdy Chinese cookie got washed away by the 

 torrent, but was rescued by the men. After some hours we 

 finally left the river, and began a steep ascent, first along a little 

 brook which came dancing down over precipices, then along 

 an ordinary steep jungle path. Mosquitoes, which during the 

 whole journey, even in the native houses, had been scarcely 

 noticeable, began, from about 3500', to be very troublesome 

 whenever one was still. At 2.45 p.m., we reached a huge ledge 

 of rock similar to the one under which we had camped the pre- 

 vious day. Here we stopped. When changing, as I always 

 did on reaching camp, I found a leach on my leg", the only one 

 during the whole expedition, although I took no special precau- 

 tions against them. Aneroid 4140'. Sunny morning, foggy 

 late in the afternoon, and a little rain. 



Thursday, March 23rd. Another cold night, during which, 

 as in fact during the whole expedition, I enjoyed little sleep, 

 feeling the cold chiefly in my joints, notwithstanding plenty of 

 warm clothing and blankets. The morning opened dismal, with 

 drizzling rain. The guides informed me that it would now take 

 two more days to reach the cave (about 9500'), and as at that rate 

 probably two additional days would be required to reach the 

 summit (13,098'), and probably as much time again to descend 



