126 
KINA BALTJ. 
insects, would have been larger; but I do not believe that fine weather ever occurs for any 
lengthened period in the vicinity of this mountain, Kina Balu’s great height being sufficient 
to attract all the rain in its district. With good food one would be able to do more, but 
half-starved, living on tinned provisions entirely, in this miserably damp climate, hemmed 
in on all sides by the steepest and roughest of mountains for our collecting-grounds, it took 
no little persuading and bribing, by the gathering of some of Nature’s prizes, to keep my 
energy and spirits up to the mark. I am sure the Kadyans, who were not buoyed up with 
the keen interest in the collections being formed, had a most miserable time of it. Several 
of these men had been with me a considerable time ; by treating them with kindness and 
consideration I always found them willing to do their best to please me, though towards 
each other they are excessively selfish. On arriving at a village I have seen two men 
drink the contents of a large coconut, while a third, equally thirsty, would not be offered a 
drop, though these men had been travelling companions for months : this is the sort of 
good fellowship that exists amongst natives ! 
By this expedition I was able to gain a great deal of information as to the necessary 
goods required for barter; I also assured myself that to be successful it would be indispens¬ 
able to carry a large stock of rice from the coast, as it Avas impossible to provide more than 
one or tAvo mouths Avith rice obtainable in the villages. Having once succeeded in getting 
the coast people to carry my baggage, I Avas also the better able to arrange Avith them 
the folloAving December. In concluding this chapter I beg to commend the small Grey 
Hornbill to the attention of future travellers, for, although I made another expedition 
up the Panataran the folloAving year, I never once suav or heard this bird again. The 
male of Ilarpactes vidua is also to be found in this same district, and would be an 
interesting discovery. 
