154 
KINA BALU: SECOND EXPEDITION. 
this morning followed the short cut which Billio made such a mess of: this is the first time 
we have succeeded in reaching Melangkap with Tampassuk buffaloes in two days. 
16th, 17th.—The Dusuns have promised to carry my baggage in two days to Kiau. 
Rain half the day. The sun shines upon Melangkap at 7.30 a m., or one hour and a half 
after it rises—Kina Balu lying north and south. Thus this side of the mountain loses at 
this distance 547-^- hours of sunlight in the year; this, considering that the sun is generally 
obscured by clouds about 10 a.m., is a great loss of heat. The situation is not 
benefited much in June, when the sun attains its most northern limit, as then the high 
range on which Kapar is situated blocks the way. Therefore the best collecting-grounds 
must be on the eastern side, which I am most anxious to reach. 
18th.—We are engaged in a squabble with the villagers ; they refuse to carry our packs 
to Kiau, for most reasonable wages—their chief object being to keep all the spoils in 
Melangkap ; but we have soundly blackguarded them, reminding them of their promises to 
help us to Kiau last year: we have threatened also to go elsewhere for porters. The whole 
day has been wasted in useless palaver. Day fine. 
19th.—These Dusuns still refuse to go, which is very annoying. A Kapar Dusun 
brought with him about half a dozen sweet-potatoes, which he presented to me, and then 
waited patiently to see what I was going to give him in return; but as he did not receive quite 
as much as he expected, he took back his potatoes. The following morning, at 6 A.M., 
before I was out of my blankets, there sat the Dusun with his beastly potatoes at my bed¬ 
side. I could not help saying, “-you and your potatoes ! ” Avhen he again offered them 
to me, and I absolutely refused to deal; so the Kapar Dusun had to carry them back to his 
village, some miles distant. The habit of giving presents is most objectionable; these 
people only do so hoping to receive more than the value they would receive in actual 
exchange. One old man always used to be giving Buntar presents of pisangs for me, and 
invariably turned up in a few days—when he expected they were beyond return—demanding 
something in exchange. Shortly, however, we became too knowing, and always kept 
presents to be returned to the donors when they should call. An old man with a long 
beard, when we were returning from the Panataran last year, was sitting in the doorway of 
his house and offered us a fine bunch of pisangs, for which we were truly grateful; but 
before we had gone many yards, he called out that he must have a pair of trousers in return 
—his present was returned. Another fine day. 
20th.—The Melangkaps have given in, and are going to carry my baggage to Kiau to¬ 
morrow for the wages already offered. These people are very trying to deal with, never 
being satisfied. The only way is to Avait patiently and pretend you do not care—pretence 
only, as it Avastes precious time and still more precious food. In all villages—as with our¬ 
selves—there are men of superior minds to their felloAVS, so that A\ T henever the Dusuns 
refused to do AAdiat I AA T anted, I used to Avait until they had finished their discussions—my 
usual resource being a long Avalk, as these nagging-parties were especially trying. When 
I returned to the village I would send for the better class of Dusun and talk the matter 
quietly over Avith them, and so I generally succeeded in getting my OAvn way. 
21st.—Left soon after daylight Avith eighteen Dusuns and five of my OAvn men for 
Kiau, leaving the honest but useless Hadji Avith Billio to take care of the rest of my 
property. Billio, avc had agreed, should not go, as one of his friends had been killed by a 
