6 KKLANTAX AND GUNONG TAHAN. 



their journey to the top of the ridge and then disappeared 

 down the other side. We halted two days while the different 

 packages were divided amongst the coolies. The rest of the 

 provisions which we could not take with us were hoisted up in 

 a high tree, for fear of the elephants getting at them, and well 

 covered with mats to protect them against rain, and then we 

 started. In the beginning we got on very well, the ground ris- 

 ing gently the whole time, but as we got higher up on the spur, 

 walking became more difficult, and we had to catch hold of 

 roots and branches to help us in getting up, and had it not been 

 for the deep footprints made in the soil by the elephants it 

 would have been nearly impossible for the coolies to get up 

 with their heavy burdens. I reached the top of the ridge, 

 w r hich proved to be about 3500' high, about noon, together with 

 a few of my Borneo men and a couple of Sakais, and wanted to 

 proceed along the comb of the ridge, which w T as running in the 

 direction I wanted to take, but the Sakais insisted on our going* 

 down the slope on the other side, as they said we should find 

 no water near the top ; so I had to give in, and we went down 

 about 1000' till we came to a tiny stream, where I decided to 

 camp for the night. I had not taken any tent w T ith me, but my 

 men soon made a shelter with some large palm leaves, some three 

 feet broad and seven feet long, which we found growing in 

 abundance in altitudes from 500' up to 4500'. None of the 

 other coolies reached our camp that night, and next morning we 

 went farther down the slope till we reached a stream, which the 

 Sakais declared to be the Sungei Tahan, and waited there until 

 all the coolies had arrived. From the river bed w r e got a fine 

 view of a mountain, that I judged to be about 5000' high, stand- 

 ing straight up and looking very formidable and inaccessible 

 with a magnificent waterfall near the top. The natives declar- 

 ed that this mountain, which was not more than 2 miles distant, 

 was part of Gunong Tahan, the higher part of which was shut 

 out from sight by the high ridges running parallel with the 

 river. We followed up the river for some time, but it was very 

 difficult climbing and when we had reached an altitude of 2500' 

 the coolies declared that they would not go any farther, so I 

 had to make my camp there. Most of the coolies then returned 

 to their villages ; but I kept the Sakais and my collectors with 



