The hill about this elevation appears to have been “ worked’ ' for some time, as 1 saw 
several abandoned gullies ; and the present occupiers have dug up the gorge for a distance of 
4 to 500 feet. They informed me that the average “ find !! of each man per day was about 2 
catties. T. saw one piece of pure tin about the size of a bantam’s egg ; but it showed no signs 
of having been dug from a lode. — Temperature at (> p.m. 70 Fahr. 
October 20, th. — Arose a 1 0 a.m. andaiO.BO w e left the hospitable Chinamen and recommenced 
our ascent, which, up to 2,700 feet was about the hardest work we had all the way up, the low 
•jungle being composed mostly of Zingibcrads, Draeamas and Ferns. At 2,700 feet we fell in 
with a hut which has been used by Malays, as evidenced by the pillows being left behind, who 
i planted i.urians and 
* o o 
\s spbenwort. (Asplen iium llelangerii) one of the prettiest. 
during their stc v here had cleared the ground for some distance around, aim. l . 
vofiVc, &c. The colice plants were looking vein nealthy although nearly overgrown with 
weeds; blit they were bearing no fruit at; the time of my visit. The “ altara” grass (Panieum 
re pais) was growing 2 8 reel high and very devise hero, which speaks well for the sod. I. 
think the best soil on this range is to bo found about here, running up and down for about 
5 .<300 feet from this point At 0,200 feet we saw some signs of past mining operations and 
occasionally met with blocks of quartz cropping through the soil. 
After reaching 3,390 feet the track descends for .100 feet, and foi^ about a mile rises 
and falls several times until the foot of the peak is reached. 
Tim jungle here was very beautiful, largo masses of yellow, white, and rod Rhododendrons 
i lk javauieum, and var and R. jasmin iflorum) scarlet a JEschynanthus and a grand white 
Medinellu covered the tranks of the largest trees, and a blooming profusely. Notliiug could 
possibly surpass the gorgeousness of the immense masses of the yellow Rhododendron, 
covered with its large umbels of brilliant orange blooms, and on several trees Solandra 
grandifior, was bearing numbers of its enormous trumpet shaped blossoms. Nor were 
Orchids entirely absent, a charming new, a. white-flowered Dendrobruui was blooming very 
profusely In one or two places. At 4,000 feet, large boulders of granite 20 to 30 feet high 
were quite covered with Belangerk 
ferns yet discovered. 
At 9 a.m. we reached Mr. Birch's old camping ground, which, by my aneroid, 1 estima- 
ted to he 4,400 feet above sea level. Mr. Birch’s party had cleared about 2 acres on the 
top, bat it had grown very thick since, and wo found it very difficult to walk through. 
Several young trees had sprung up 40 feet since 1875 ; but nearly all the old trees 
left standing are dead. The undergrowth consisted mostly of Litobrochia aurita, ?teris aquilina 
Neph role-pis and Grleielienias. 
The soil consists of a layer of black vegetable mould 6- -12 ’ thick on a fine yellow 
friable loam, pretty freely mixed with granite phrtieles. 
From what 1 have seen of Cinchona in Ceylon 1 should have no hesitation in pronoun- 
cing this good Cinchona laud, to say nothing of the possibility of growing good cabbages, Ac, 
Tempera rurotat 12 o’clock 71. 5. Fahr. 
Unfortunately the clouds were very low. and thick, shutting out the whole country 
below from our view, but the scene presented by so many peaks rising one behind the other 
was very fine. 
After pitching our tent and getting breakfast, 1 started with some of my men foV a 
taller peak South of our camping ground, which 1 found to be 4,650 feet where i saw some very 
pretty Calanthes (C. eurculigoides and C. angustifolia), a few plants of the- bloody pitcher 
plant (Nepenthe's sauguinea) besides Rhododendrons and Ferns, &e. 
Rain eame on at 2.30 p.m. and continued till 7 p.m. which put an end to our botani- 
zing for that day. Temperature at 6 p.m. 68 ° Fahr. From 7.30 to 8.80 p.m. we saw the 
lights at the Residency very plainly. 
October 21st. — Temperature at 6 a.m. 01 Fahr. Started at 6.30 a.m. to visit another 
peak East of our camp, which appeared to be about 5,000 feet high, but soon after starting 
a very thick mist covered the hills, which unfortunately caused us ta ]qq>.sq, our road, and 
we got to the top of another hill still farther East which I found was only - 1,750 feet ; but 
we found several plants we had not previously met with. ‘ 
« The vegetation on the top consists mostly of scrubby Podocarpi, .Djpteris Borsfieldii 
Rhododendrons, Yacciuium sp. Oleandra ueriiformis and Nepenthes sauguinea, the last 
named in abundance. - 
A very pretty white flowered Eria was also blooming very profusely amongst the 
Ferns. Temperature at 9 on this peak 83 o , Returning to our camping ground we collected 
several plants, including Anzsetoehilns setaceus A. Dawsonianus, Tricho manes ericoides or a 
lot of Ferns and several Zingiberads. 
^I’em perature at the tent at 12 o’clock 63 c . — Rain came on at 1.30 which lasted till 
3 p.m., after which we got occasional glimpses of the surrounding country. Temperature at 
6 p.m. 66 Fah. clear. 
October 22nd. — Temperature at 6 a.m. 62 = Fall. Yen thick, left at 7 a.m. un our des- 
cending journey, which, owing to the rain, we found legs pleasant than ascending, and the mist 
prevented in from seeing more than 20 feet ahead. Not one of my men could be persuaded 
to climb i: tree for an Orchid on account of the numerous Caiarni and Freycinetias. 
However, I managed to secure a very fair stock of plants, including several rare, if 
not totally unknown species, and reached Thaipeng ‘again at 12 o’clock in a perfect 
torrent of rain. * • . 
