IV. 



This account is not accompanied by any map, no altitudes are 

 given, nor are there any other particulars which render it possible 

 to trace Mr. Waterstradt's route. On the other hand, his description 

 of the natural features of the mountain he ascended differs materially 

 from the actual facts, so that, without in any way impugning his 

 veracity, I cannot but think that he was never on the true Tahan 

 range, but merely on some of the loftier outliers to the north 

 and east. 



I had long wished to ascend the mountain, but realising that 

 any expedition on a small scale would only be a waste of money, 

 as unless a very large number of coolies were obtainable, even if 

 the mountain were reached, no prolonged stay w r ould be possible, and 

 zoological and botanical collecting, except on the most limited scale, 

 impracticable, had deferred the attempt. In 1905, however, the 

 Trustees of the British Museum having undertaken to bear half the 

 estimated cost of the expedition on condition that they received half 

 the collections, the Government of the Federated Malay States 

 sanctioned the expedition and provided the requisite funds. 



As was anticipated, the difficulties of the journey were merely those 

 of organisation and transport, which, thanks to the trouble taken by the 

 District Officer, Lipis, the Assistant District Officer and other Pahang 

 officials, were readily overcome with the results shown in the succeed- 

 ing pages. 



Since 1005 the mountain has been ascended oil several occasions 

 and a trigonometrical beacon erected on the summit, which commands 

 an unrivalled view of the central region of the Malay Peninsula. 



The considerable delay in the publication of this report, for which 

 my apologies are Owing to the various gentlemen who have so kindly 

 contributed to it, has been caused by the non-delivery of the plates 

 which were overcarried by the steamship company and lost sight of for 

 nearly a year. 



HERBERT C. ROBINSON. 



Selangor State Museum, 

 Kuala Lumpur, February, 1908. 



