96 AN EXPEDITION TO MOUNT BATU LAWI. 
ft. 6 in. They spanned more than their height by some 2 
inches or so in every case. A Murut, Balang Alar by name, a fine 
tall well-made fellow with long thick hair reaching below his waist 
measured 5 ft. 9 in. and seemed to tower over his neighbours. 
In this house I noticed a curious pair of antlers hanging up 
on the wooden Pare on which run down the middle of the house. 
Unfortunately I do not know the right way of describing them and 
my mtention of photographing them on my return was frustrated 
through alterations in our plans, which prevented my returning to 
that house again. My note-book has the following :—* four stout 
branches (2 on each side), these branching off again into blunt 
wide projections, totalling 14 points in all. Tama Kuling’s father 
bought it from the Pabaws an people years ago and according to them 
it belongs toa “rusa” (Cervus equinus), but it is so different from 
that, that I think it must belong to a different animal.” I tricd 
to purchase it, but Tama Kuling did not want to part with it. 
Later he gave me some rice for our men in exchange for some yards 
of red cloth. I also presented him with a whistle which pleased 
him quite a lot. He was most particular in regarding my cloth 
and his rice as presents, and strongly deprecated all idea of the 
transaction being in the nature of a purchase. 
‘Tama Kuling, Balang Alar, the tall Murut, and one or two of 
the other Murut visitors from down-river telk Malay, but the rest 
cannot talk that language or Dayak. It is curious to note the effect 
of the enterprising Dayaks who are spreading rapidly over this and 
adjacent districts, for in many Murut neuses the inmates talk 
Dayak but not Malay; one Murut I remember last year seemed 
almost hurt that the language I spoke (Malay) was not the same 
as the foreign tongue he had learnt (Dayak), "Jako Iban aku 
namu,” he said, SS tapi jako nuan enda namu aku.” (“ Dayak I 
know, but your linguistic efforts beat me altogether ”), so I had to 
try my best Dayak on him, resulting I’m afraid, in but indifferent 
success. The T'abuns seemed most at home in this language ques- 
tion, talking Malay, Dayak, Murut and Kalabit with equal ease ; 
these two last dialects are certainly very close to Tabun but are 
nevertheless quite distinct, so much so that a Trusan Murut with 
~me could hardly make himself understood at all when talking to a 
Kalabit and his persevering attempts used to call forth shouts of 
- laughter from his Tabun friends. He talked Malay and Dayak to 
-a-certain extent. Two of my Dayaks knew Murut well, having 
married Murut ladies, but they couldnt understand any Kalabit. 
: Our new guide Penribut (Kalabit) an oldish man with a cheerful 
smile and a great capacity for drink did not understand a word of 
Malay or Dayak, but appeared to talk Murut easily enough. St. 
John’s journey was made by the Madihit, and although he records 
the traces of a former Chinese colony there, he makes no mention 
of any other settlers in the Madihit.* 
**“To show how exteusively the Chinese formerly spread over the iountry, 
I notice that they had pepper plantations evensup the Madihit as late as the 
remembrance of some of the oldest Muruts.’’ (/. c. p. 73). 
Jour Straits Branch 
