50 EXPEDITION INTO INTERIOR OF SUMATRA, - 
granite walls. The water dripped ceaselessly from trailing 
creepers and from the rocks which overhung the cataract. 
Everything around was damp, the air chill, and the silence, 
which weighed like lead upon the whole scene, was unbroken, 
save for the monotonous noise of the falli ng drops. In the 
meantime some of our kowlis began to cut down young trees 
and branches, and to drag them to the place where we intended 
to form our bivouac. The lopped branches formed the sup- 
ports of our dwelling-place, which, thanks to the natural 
shelter we had found, was for once quickly enough put up, 
and in which, besides our baggage, there was space “enough to 
lodge our followers. A little distance on our left, a large fire 
was lighted at which our cook busied himself in preparing a 
meal as frugal as it was welcome. A second fire was lighted in 
front of the hut, its tall flames casting such fantastic shadows 
around that we had no fear of being disturbed by any wild 
beast. After long marches, such as we made nearly every 
day of our expedition, one is not much disposed to prolong 
the evening after havin o dined. The conversation soon 
begins to flag, and the slightest hint is sufficient to convince 
the company ‘of the advantage, nay the necessity, of going 
to rest. We found this to be so, and whilst the kowlis were, 
according to their custom, squatting round the fire engaged 
in animated conversati on, we were stretching our wearied 
limbs on our camp-beds, which though very simple, made a 
much more comfortable bed than the bare ground. The 
next morning we made haste to continue our journey, and 
just allowing enough time to cook a few handfuls of rice, 
which with ship’s biscuit formed our bre akfast, we were on 
our way by half-past 6 o’clock. 
We still followed the track formed by the pachyderms, 
which led us upwards to the north of the mountain. We 
advanced very slow ly, having continually to clear the path of 
fallen trees, and twisted creepers. 
We marched in front with the ouldes, and towards 11 
o’clock wearrivedat a hut which had previously shelteredthem, 
but which we could not now make use of, on account of its 
distance from any water we could drink, and also because 
our day’s task was by nomeans done. At about 3 o’clock in 
the afternoon we came to the last hut occupied by the guides, 
