AN EXPEDITION TO MOUNT KINA BALU. 63 



wards Kina Balu. He told me that he had left Labuan on 

 March 16th, and, on account of trouble with the carriers, had been 

 detained on his way. The old Chinaman whose hospitality we 

 had enjoyed some weeks ago in Bandaian, had turned up in 

 Kappa before my arrival, and had informed Mr. Burls that gold 

 was to be found one hour's walk from here. So Mr. Burls sent 

 for the Dusun who was supposed to know the spot, and, on my 

 advice, asked the man to fetch him a piece of the precious metal. 

 The man promised to do so next morning" at daybreak. 



Sunday (Easter), April 2nd. At 7.30 a.m. Mr. Burls heard 

 that the Dusun had not started as yet for the gold, but would 

 do so after his breakfast. This was at last over, but then the 

 Chinaman came to say that the locality was unsafe on account 

 of an enormous snake. The Chinaman's arms were just long* 

 enough to give us an idea of this snake's diameter. We tried to 

 allay those fears, but were then told that the gold was down 

 a deep hole, that candles were required, and that at least three 

 men would have to go. To my regret I had to leave Kappa 

 in the midst of this interesting discussion, starting at 8.40 a.m. 

 It was a nice morning, after pouring with rain all night until 

 6 a.m. We began the descent at 10.15 a.m., reached the plain 

 at 10.50, the village of Menkaladai at 11.30, rested a little, and 

 reached the Tuaran River at 2.20 p.m., one of the men taking us 

 through a most swampy k short cut,' between padi fields. Here 

 we had to wait a little while for a boat, and I reached Panjut 

 somewhat in advance of the others at 3 p.m., with feelings of 

 profound relief. Being transplanted comparatively suddenly 

 from the hilly interior to Panjut, in the plain and near the sea, 

 the people here struck one at once as more comfortable and 

 better off : they had more buffaloes, many goats, and sledges, 

 which indeed would have been impossible inland, and better 

 clothing, and were also oftener intoxicated, a sure sign of 

 civilization. But there were also more flies and ants in the 

 houses, and more mosquitoes at night time, which, however, 

 were not very troublesome. We heard that on the day before 

 there had been a large funeral here, on which occasion live 

 buffaloes were killed. 



Monday, April 3rd. As I was absolutely in the dark as to 

 when and where, whether in Gava or in Labuan, we should be 



