49, AN EXPEDITION TO MOUNT BATU LAWL. 
life was remarkable. We were certainly unfortunate in striking a 
particularly wet 24 hours on the mountain which partly ac- 
cuonted for this dearth no doubt, but I imagine that dense humidity 
was the rule rather than the exception up there, so that animal life 
was probably not encouraged to flourish. ‘The actual rock com- 
mences at 5,250 ft. We returned to our lancho, packed up our few 
belongings and made our way slowly down the hill; then up through 
that unpleasant tangled growth the other side and so back to our 
old camp on Selinguid, arriving just after dark tired out. The 
collectors had shot some interesting birds in our absence and 
captured several insects new to me. 
May 31st: Climb up to the top of Selinguid again this 
morning and at last enjoy a splendid view of the country all round, 
Take some photographs of Batu Lawi [unfortunately ‘all failures 
owing to lack of sufficient precautions against the excessive damp |. 
Butterflies plentiful on the top and we spend most of the day up 
there. ‘Two Dayaks follow the ridge along the top and across a 
narrow ravine on the northern side and so on to the northern end of 
Batu Lawi. ‘They returned at nightfall and report it much easier 
gvoing than the route used by us yesterday; they succeeded in 
reaching the foot of the higher peak, but were unable to climb this. 
The top of Selinguid extends some 300 yards in a north- easterly 
direction, narrow ‘and more or less flat although the growth on the 
top makes it difficult to move. In a secluded spot away from our 
butterfly-collectors I found two of our Dayaks making themselves 
comfortable for a pleasant morning nap; they were in the hopes of 
obtaining fortunate dreams, as the tops of high mountains are 
always said to be infested by spirits and the chances of experiencing 
an important dream in this hallowed spot were too good to be 
missed. I left them to their occupation with instructions to report 
if the dreams were favourable so that I might then turn them on 
to a little collecting which would in that case be undoubtedly pro- 
fitable. 
June 1st: Food has run very short and we leave about 7 
a.m. on the return journey, after catching the Dayaks in an attempt 
at leaving with particularly light burdens. These Pandan 
Dayaks pete e been more trouble than use on the whole—always last 
and lagging, wanting to stop first, and making a fuss over the 
smallest hardship. The Saribas Dayaks with me are very different, 
cheerfully doing more than their due share of hard work. ‘'The 
Tabuns and Murtus give no trouble under Belulok, and the Kala- 
bits under Penribut usually do what they are told without much 
persuasion. A lot depends on their headmen and I am unlucky in 
the head of these eleven Pandaruan Dayaks. However they are 
in the minority and with a few suggestive remarks at their expense 
we start, the baggage evenly divided. Our pace down hill is very 
different to that when struggling up and we get down to the 
Palabar and over the steep bit and down again “to the Limbang 
again before very long. Here we find the river has risen consider- 
Jour. Straits Branch 
