64 
AN EXPEDITION TO MOUNT KINA BALU. 
able to catch a steamer to take us to Singapore, I sent De Fon- 
taine to Gantian to make enquiries. I spent the day taking- 
notes, the coolies and crowds of villag’ers as usual standino’ and 
squatting round me, and watching every movement, nearly dis- 
tracting me by their continuous coughing. But I found some 
music going on in a neighbouring house very soothing. 
Tuesday^ Ajrril 4^Ji. De Fontaine came back at 7 a.m., 
after having travelled part of the night, bringing the dismal 
news that a coasting steamer had left Gaya for Labuan at 
midnight. This really made no difference in the end, ho-wever, as 
we heard later on that this boat had no connection in Labuan 
with boats for Singapore. lie liad brought with him a large 
rowing boat, and so I decided to leave at once for Gan- 
tian. We started from Fanjut at 8.30 a.m., reached Berunggis 
at 9.15, left there by boat at 9.30, and reached the district 
office of Menkabong, at the mouth of the Meukaliong river, at 
12.30. Here we had a rudimentary tiffin, left again at 2 p.m., 
and, rowing and sailing, reached Gantian at 4.53. p.m. It was 
a very trying journey: the day was hot and cloudless, and we 
sat in an open boat cramped between piles of luggage. To my 
regret, I found Mr. Haynes, who in the meantime Iiad shifted 
from Gaya to Gantian, down with liver, but Mr. Keasberry 
kindly took charge of us and put us up in an uniinished wooden 
house intended for the native clerk. The carpenters witti their 
boards and wood shavings lying about were cleared out in a 
few mintues, and we established ourselves there in a rough and 
ready fashion. 
Wednesdaij, April 5th. No work df)iie, all feeling the need 
of a day’s rest. I saw some newspapers, for the lirst time for 
about a month. 
77inrsd(t/p April 6th. I hired a native boat and went out at 
0.30 a.m. to the reefs where I did some collecting, chiedy corals, 
a native diving for them, and spent the greater part of the day in 
cleaning and bleaching the corals. A coasting’ steamer brought 
the welcome news from Mr. Ijittle, Labuan, that two gentlemen, 
Messrs Lower and Favitt, would arrive in Gaya on Sunday next 
with the steam-launch ‘Sri Futri,’ and could take me down to 
Labuan just in time to catch the TIecul>a’ for Singapore. De 
Fontaine was ill this day. 
