xiii. 



hold all the stores, baggage, etc. This was the 5th Camp since leaving 

 the house boats, and was reached in eight days from Kuala Lipis. By 

 aneroid, it was shown to be 500 ft. above sea-level and 280 ft. above 

 Kuala Tahan. The two rivers (the Teku and Tahan) are of about the 

 same volume, and the camp was built on the high bank between them. 

 The rain began about 6 p.m., and continued nearly all night. The 

 Teku rose some 5 or 6 ft., and some of the boats were in danger of 

 being washed away, had not the Malays gone out in the middle of the 

 night and shifted them more towards the Tahan River, which was not 

 in flood. 



It is curious that none of the Malays remember anything of the 

 Singapore expedition, consisting of Messrs. H. N. Ridley, H. J. Kelsall, 

 W. Davison and Townson, which endeavoured to reach Gunong 

 Tahan in June of 1891. At several places there still remain traces of 

 the track cleared by it and of the sites of the camps. Of these, there 

 were nine in the Tahan valley, but the highest one was apparently 

 quite a long way below Kuala Teku. It was estimated to be ten miles 

 from the base of the mountain, so was probably somewhere between 

 the 3rd and 4th Camps* of the present expedition. Transport dif- 

 ficulties and the running out of the food were the causes of the non- 

 success of the Singapore expedition. 



The question of food supply, which is a vital one in a country 

 where none is to be obtained, was very carefully gone into before 

 starting, and thirteen bags of rice were taken (done up in fifty small 

 bags of 50 katis each), besides salt fish, salt and tobacco for the coolies. 

 Tinned provisions and fowls were taken for the Europeans. Unfortu- 

 nately all of the latter, which came from Selangor, died of some conta- 

 gious disease, and only fifteen, obtained in Pahang, were available for 

 food. 



There were fifty-six Pahang Malays, besides the three Malay 

 servants, four Dyaks, and the two Europeans to be fed. The rations 

 were served out regularly every evening, so as to avoid the waste 

 which always occurs when the men are allowed to help themselves. 

 The allowance was a chupa (quart) of rice per man per day. 



It appears that the Sultan of Pahang, at a date which could not be 

 fixed, but before he went down river to live at Pekan, sent two 

 expeditions to endeavour to reach the summit of Gunong Tahan, on 

 which, according to native tradition, are to be found two pots, contain- 

 ing the " ibu mas" and the " ibu perak," with a gigantic brok as big 

 as a rhinoceros standing on guard between them. The " ibu mas " is 

 the Malay equivalent of the philosopher's stone and has the power of 

 changing all it touches into gold. Both these parties endeavoured to 

 reach the mountain via the Teku valley and both failed, owing to the 

 steep and rugged nature of the country, which once any considerable 

 altitude is reached consisted of a series of terraces separated from each 

 other by precipices, some of very considerable height and intersected 

 by narrow ravines with almost perpendicular sides. It was this route, 



