120 
KINA BALK. 
At the present moment the Assistant-Resident of this district is making the first expe¬ 
dition to settle the quarrels of these tribes. In the ‘British North Borneo Herald’ (July 
1887) he gives an interesting description of his journey amongst these tribes and how the 
“ Coast and Hill Dusuns laid their hands on the stone, swearing eternal friendship,”—the 
people mentioned being the villagers of Kiau, Koung, and Labong Labong, and, I presume, 
the Tawaran Dusuns. This officer was only in the district a few days, his primary object 
being to ascend Kina Balu, swear in the tribes, and settle how much poll-tax they were to 
pay the Government. After thus settling the tribal disputes, some Mohammedan coast chief 
will be sent round perhaps once a year to settle all disputes and collect the poll-tax; as I 
have already given my opinion as to the placing of these gentry over Pagan tribes, I need 
not write further. I know, as a fact, that the very tribes which this officer visited, and 
settled their tribal disputes, made a head-hunting raid the following spring. Thus it 
is my opinion that Officials’ visits once in five or six years are worse than useless, as they 
disturb the people for the time being; and it is impossible to expect semibarbaric tribes to 
Avait for years to have their disputes settled, so the result is that they take the law into 
their oavu hands and frequent blood-feuds ensue. As the path is cut over the hills, 
Billio is able to return to Melangkap to-day, avoiding the break-neck journey in the course 
of the Panataran. 
1st March.—To-day I have succeeded in shooting two birds Avhich up to this have by 
their vigilance escaped. One is the Kingfisher already mentioned, which occasionally flies 
SAviftly past our camp; the other is a curious fork-tailed bird, white and black, and turned 
out to be a neAv species, named Henicurus borneensis. The Kingfisher is a well-knoA\ T n 
species, Alcedo euryzona. This bird has been the cause of great excitement, as I thought it 
would be a new species. A pair used to pass our camp nearly every morning before it was 
fairly light, so, to intercept them, I used to wait on a rock in the river, AAdiere the Chinaman 
used to bring me my early cup of chocolate, Avaiting for my little friends to pass; but I 
never could get a shot, as the bird altered its course into the forest on seeing me. One 
morning, hoAvever, I was eating my breakfast as usual Avith my gun ready, Avlien a AA 7 histle 
warned me just in time to get a snap shot, Avhen the cheers of the Chinaman told me that 
the bird Avas at last mine. 
To-day the Kadyans brought in a handsome neAv Flycatcher ( Stopcirolci cerviniventris), 
which I have figured opposite page 40. 
3rd.—The birds collected to-day are pair of fine Bamboo Partridges, Bambusicolct 
erythrophrys, and a Cuckoo Skrike, Artamides normani, both neAv species. The Partridge 
is a handsome bird, and in the distribution of markings is someAvhat like the Avell- 
knoAvn French Red-legged Partridge,—the feathers on the flanks are beautifully marked 
Avith black and Avhite, the general colouring is of a deep reddish faAvn on the breast, the back 
being black and broAvn. This Partridge Avas rare and very difficult to obtain, frequenting 
as it does the impenetrable bamboo-jungle AA r hich clothes the slopes of these steep hills. 
It is useless to set traps, as the country over Avhich it rambles is so vast. The three specimens 
collected by me Avere shot by the same Kadyan, and Avere the only ones obtained. 
4th, 5th.—I have been busy making a sketch of the huge buttress-shaped end of Kina 
Balu from the top of the spur above the camp. During my sketching the formation of 
