40 AN EXPEDITION TO MOUNT BATU LAWL. 
natives in Sarawak when asked will not give the name of their 
destination (i.c., if it entails a lengthy and perhaps perilous 
journey), tor fear of exciting the wrath of the guardian spirit of 
that place, so they refer to it in very roundabout terms. The name 
Batu Lawi was hardly if ever mentioned (except by me) during the 
days we approached it, and | noticed that the Tabuns did not seem 
much surprised at the absence of any known name for Selinguid. 
The superstition is | suppose much the same as that which forbids 
a Sea-Dayak to mention the names of his parents-in-law and those 
of their relations; or to give his own name when asked. In this 
latter instance he usually turns to a friend with a nod as much as 
to say “Tell him my name, he doesnt know our customs or he 
would not have asked me.” Many have their names very con- 
veniently tatooed on their fore-arms, so that when one wishes to ask 
this awkward question and no friend is near to help, the arm may 
be produced for the silent inspection of the questioner J. 
The summit of Selinguid ts bare of all trees and only covered 
with a tangled mass of shrubs and moss which effectiv ely cover some 
splendid pitfalls between huge great blocks of stone. Batu Lawi 
was close enough to enable us to make out individual trees and the 
perpendicular stratification of the 10cks; the lower of the two peaks 
looks easily climbable, but 1 doubt the possibility of being able to 
climb the higher one, which rose sheer tor some six hundred like a 
chimney . practically bare of all vegetation. It bore due East of 
Selinguid and this accounts for our mistaking Selinguid for the 
lower “slopes of Batu Lawi, when trying to make out the lay of the 
land through the trees on Mt. Derian due wert of us. Thick clouds 
develop into heavy rain and we decend to the camp arriving just 
before dark, after a weary day of nearly ten hours’ walking. The 
beautiful cool climate and mountain aiv however allow one to do it 
without feeling anything but healthy fatigue at the end of the 
day, which all passes off ‘after a sound sleep in a really cold night. 
At dusk the thermometer eee 63° in the shade. 
May 29th: (Temp. at 7 a.m. 64°). Left our camp about 8 
oclock with 14 men to get fo Batu Lawi; the others staying behind 
to recover from their several ailments (cold, fever, cuts, sore feet, 
etc.) and to do some collecting. As the summit of Selinguid rose 
between us, we had to make a detour round the southern slope be- 
fore reaching the narrow valley which runs north and south be- 
tween the two mountains. This entailed some very difficult going 
through pathless jungle of quite a different character to that on 
the other side of the mountain where our camp was situated. 
There we were hidden in the usual type of virgin jungle, viz. 
enormous high trees with interlacing branches forming a canopy 
far over our heads, and down below a thin growth which was not 
difficult to walk through. This new type of jungle on the southern 
and eastern slopes of Selinguid (including the summit) consisted 
of low-growing gnarled shrubs rarely more than ten feet high; 
these in turn were covered in thick moss especially round the roots 
Jour. Straits Branch 
