116 
KINA BALU. 
The country over which we have cleared a path to-day is at first on leaving the river 
very steep and a mass of clean-cut sharp-edged granite boulders. Whenever the ground 
became more level and the soil was not washed away, the disagreeable creeping bamboo- 
growth smothered everything, reaching to a height of ten or fifteen feet above the ground. 
The trees on these slopes were often high, the most numerous and finest being a species of 
pine—the casuarina—from which the Dusuns collect quantities of damar. It rained 
yesterday and to-day as usual. 
16th.—Sent the Kadyans to work again on the path on the opposite side of the river. 
I wandered up the steep path and shot three birds, two of which are new to Borneo— 
Pericrocotus montanus and Hemipus picatus. Kina Balu is, in a direct line, perhaps less 
than two miles distant and is a magnificent sight; but from what knowledge we have of 
the obstacles to be overcome in the intervening country, I fear we shall never reach even 
the base of the mountain. The country on all sides is a mass of high forest-clad mountains, 
in places scarred by landslips, which have brought down avalanches of rock, cutting broad 
lanes through the forest-growth. These landslips generally take place where the 
casuarinas grow, the subsoil in those places being too poor for other trees. Bound about 
our camp, where the ground is fairly level, the forest-growth is still tropical, nebong and 
other palms growing luxuriantly. The rain commenced to-day at 11 a.m. and continued 
until night. 
17th.—The river is to-day a roaring torrent, so we are unable to cross to our path on 
the other side. It has never ceased raining since yesterday, and continued without inter¬ 
mission all day to-day, so we have spent a miserable time in camp. 
18th.—The river went down considerably during the night, so we are able to continue 
with the path. I shot several birds on the hill behind the camp, two of which were new. 
This morning we have had enough sunshine to dry all our clothes and bird-skins. This sort 
of weather, however, could not last for long, so at mid-day we were treated to the usual 
downpour, and later in the afternoon the temperature became very cold. The Kadyans 
who had been working at the path on the opposite side only arrived in camp a few minutes 
before the Panataran came down in full spate, owing to a deluge of rain on the upper part 
of the mountain. If they had not crossed in time they would have had a sorry night on 
the opposite side of the river. 
19th.—As w r e have now two long paths over the hills, the Kadyans go out inde¬ 
pendently on hunting expeditions. To-day Nyhan returned with a fine new Flower-pecker, 
which has been christened Arachnothera julice. The rump and crissum of this bird are 
golden yellow, the rest of the plumage striped with white and dark brown. As all other 
species of this genus are dull green-coloured birds, the new species is a very interesting 
departure from the colouring of the group. Small red leeches infest these mountain forests, 
and levy their blood-tax from the legs of the Kadyans. Several species of Nepenthes grow 
freely on the more open spaces near the tops of the ridges, and a very fine Cypripedium 
I found growing amongst the piles of loose rock on the tops of the hills. This species, 
of which I made a sketch, I am told is C. rothschildianuni, the same species as is found 
in New Guinea; this to me seems too improbable. I saw also several other species of 
orchids; in'one walk I noticed some five distinct terrestrial species in flower, and never 
before in the tropics have I noticed so many. Bain held off until 2.30 p.m. 
