August 14th.—“Kurow” came in this morning, and commenced to “bargain” cautiously by asking to see the goods we were willing to pay for guides. “Suong,” our interpreter, who was an adept at trading, spread out some cloth and other things to the value of a few shillings, and after a deal of talking an agreement was arrived at by “Kurow” and “Boloung” consenting to accompany us in return for these things and an old coat of mine, upon which “Kurow” had cast longing eyes ever since my arrival. Among the goods was an entire length—twenty-six yards—of grey shirting, and this was brought back for me to divide into two halves, each of these dusky chiefs seeming firmly convinced that the other would “best” him if possible. Having, after some slight trouble, divided the cloth to their liking, and handed them the other goods in pre-payment, another difficulty arose, both declaring that they could not start to the mountain to-day, as they had no rice, and must needs go to the next village to obtain some. By this time all my men were ready to start, and as I had said I should set out to-day, I was determined to do so at all risks. I explained to them that they had plenty of rice in their village, but that if they really wanted more “Kurow” had better accompany us, and “Boloung” could obtain supplies and come on after us on the morrow, adding that we should start at once, and if their agreement was not kept we should of course take back the goods we had pre-paid them. It must be distinctly understood that in Borneo pre-payment for goods or services to be rendered is the national custom, just as it is in South America. In the latter country the natives who collect the india-rubber or caoutchouc in Brazil may serve as an illustration of the fact. I left my “boy,” who was rather unwell, and the only old man in our party, to “abide by the stuff” in the house, and shouldered my gun and left our guides to think matters over. We had not proceeded above a mile, however, before “Kurow” overtook us, and went on ahead as cheerful as possible. After an hour or two of rough walking on shelving forest-paths, varied here and there by slippery logs, we came to a mountain-stream, probably one of the tributaries of the Haya-Haya. Here, in a large stone trap, the worthy “Kurow” was fortunate enough to find a large wild cat. I had not spoken to him since he overtook us, but I could not resist the opportunity of reminding him that this was one of his lucky days! We crossed here, the water being deliciously fresh and cool, and another hour’s stiff walking brought us over the base of the next spur, and to our old quarters, the “Sleeping Rock,” where we were to rest for the night. This is a gigantic overhanging boulder near a foaming torrent. A pretty little maidenhair fern, before alluded to, grew here in great plenty, and attained the greatest luxuriance among the débris of former camp fires. Overhead a colony of mason bees had established themselves, forming multitudes of little rounded mud nests on the face of the rock, and when we lighted our fires the smoke disturbed them much. A still greater nuisance, however, was our guide, “Kurow,” who made a fire and commenced to cook his wild cat by roasting it, hair, skin and all, without the slightest preparation. When Mr. Veitch and myself slept here during my first visit, he had two rats—rather high they were too—which he roasted entire, and ate with great satisfaction! The soil near the bottom of these immense spurs is very rich, as attested by the luxuriance of bamboo and species of ginger which are comparatively puny on poor land. Beside the mountain torrents a pink-spathed aroid (Gamogyne Burbidgei, N. E. Br.) is common, and rather pretty. A species of dwarf palm (Areca, sp.), bearing clusters of small scarlet fruits, is noticeable, and a trailing plant, allied to the jasmines, bore axillary clusters of white waxy flowers, each having a brown eye-like spot in its centre. The perfume emitted by its blossoms was delicious, and resembled that of spring hyacinths. A red-fruited raspberry (Rubus rosæfolius), and several species of ferns and selaginellas carpeted the low shady forest along our route. The only bird we saw was a lyre-tailed shrike of a dark ash colour. Our dinner consisted of a fowl cut up and boiled with a little rice, and when it was nearly done we added a small tin of Julienne soup to it, thus securing some substantial potage, and we were hungry enough to appreciate it at its full value. A cup of coffee and a cigar made us forget all our bruises, and knowing the stiff day’s work we had for the morrow, we retired to our blankets early.
August 15th.—We awoke about 5 A.M. and aroused our followers. A Malay named “Jeludin,” acted as cook in the absence of my regular “boy,” and he prepared a very palatable breakfast of the remains of our dinner, supplemented by nicely boiled rice and dried fish. “Kurow” breakfasted off wild cat roasted à la Dusun, and a little rice which we gave him. After breakfast he sat smoking, and “Suong” came and told me that he would not go up the mountain. On my asking him his reason for resolving thus, he replied that he could not go because he had no trowsers, nor coat, nor head-cloth. I had given him a warm tweed coat previous to starting, but this he had left in his house. I at once told him through “Suong,” that if he did not go as I had paid him to do, I should tell all the headmen as we returned to the coast, that he broke his bargains, and was afraid to go up the mountain. This threat had the desired effect on him; for after reflecting on it several minutes, he arose and prepared to start, saying with charming naïveté, that “I was a good man, and that he liked me.” About seven o’clock “Boloung” and five or six of his followers rejoined us, as they had promised, and we set off on our way up the spur.
Our path at first lay up the bed of the torrent, but we left this in a few minutes, bearing up the spur to the right, past a bamboo fence in which rat-traps were placed at intervals of a few feet. Here and there, too, we noticed the dangerous spring pig-spearing apparatus, so commonly met with in the forests of the Murut and Kayan tribes who live further south. The deposit of forest débris at the base of this south spur is very rich in ferns and herbaceous plants. A melastomad here and there bore clusters of pretty pink flowers. Of this plant, which grew in the moss beside the path, there are green and purple-leaved varieties. A glossy-leaved ardisia, having clusters of red berries, the foliage being claret-coloured beneath, was conspicuous; and the stems of a shrub four feet high were covered with clusters of vermilion-tinted berries the size of small peas; another shrub, a yard high, having lance-shaped serrate leaves, bore clusters of pure white, gesnera-like flowers. As we climbed higher up the mountain side, rhododendra, bearing white, scarlet, yellow, or magenta-coloured blossoms, began to appear, and epiphytal and terrestrial orchids also became more plentiful. The curious pitcher-plants also increased in profusion, some being of a wondrous size and of the most singular form, colour and texture. At one place in a secluded mossy nook, where Mr. Veitch and I had obtained plants during our last ascent, I found that some cuttings we had accidentally left on the ground had thrown out numerous fresh roots into the wet moss on which they lay! The delicately perfumed little orchid, Dendrochilum glumaceum, was flowering freely, its elegantly drooping inflorescence resembling the most dainty filagree work. Golden and white-flowered cœlogynes nestled here and there beside our path. In one place, the curious little Rhododendron ericifolium was in bloom; and another species, growing on mossy trunks, bore waxy, bell-shaped flowers of a clear orange-scarlet colour. The dark glossy green foliage of this last reminded one of that of a sciadopitys in form, being linear, and arranged in whorls. It has been named (Rhododendron stenophyllum, Hook. f.).
RHODODENDRON STENOPHYLLUM.
As we ascended the temperature fell faster and faster, and at intervals we were completely enveloped in dense clouds of mist, while at other times they were dispersed, and the sun brightened up the mountain side. One place we passed this morning is rather dangerous, almost like walking on the ridge of a high building, the descent on one side however being a sheer precipice of 1,500 feet, and the other side is steep; but there are a few bushes near, which give one confidence. At 8,000 feet we again enter a dripping cloud, or rather it sweeps down to meet us, and the trees here are of low stature and gnarled, the branches being so low that in places one has to crawl through them. Casuarina trees are commonly met with. The ground and lower bushes are covered with wet mosses, and white hair-like masses of usnea sway to and fro in the higher branches. The cold increased, and my Labuan men felt it very much. I looked at my thermometer at three o’clock during a heavy shower, and at an altitude of 9,000 feet, and it registered 56°. In England one would consider this a delicious temperature; but when we started this morning we had a temperature thirty degrees higher.
It was curious to notice the effect the depression of heat and the rain had on my men, who had never in their lives known the thermometer below 70°. They appeared perfectly paralysed; and the Dusun themselves were but little better. We reached our former camping-place, the cave, about 3.30, wet, cold, tired, and hungry. Five of the fellows were so far chilled and exhausted that they gave up when within ten minutes of the cave, and huddled themselves close together under some dry rocks. I sent twice for them to come on to us, but they would not move, and passed the night without fire or food, rather than bestir themselves to prepare either. We managed to start a fire after some difficulty, and then pulled off our cold wet garments. I got one of my Malays to rub me briskly all over with a coarse towel, and then put on two flannel shirts, trowsers, and jacket, after which I felt comparatively comfortable. One of the Dusun fetched us some water from a stream half a mile off; and it was so icy cold as to make one’s teeth chatter to drink it—rather a novelty in the tropics.
“Jeludin,” although shivering, set about cooking our dinner; and “Suong,” who was the most useful man I had, chopped up enough wood to last us all the night. The men who came on with us sat shivering under the rocks for over an hour, before I could induce them to set about lighting themselves a fire. It was, indeed, really painful to see the poor fellows so utterly paralysed. “Boloung,” the chief of the Kiau Dusun, who had accompanied us, had carried up a fowl under his arm the whole way; and when he reached the cave, I was agreeably surprised when he presented it to me, and I took it as a great compliment, for it is extremely rare for a Dusun to put himself to so much trouble even for a friend, much less for a stranger like myself. This fowl, although lively enough in the morning, had become so wet and cold during the ascent, that it appeared to be dead; indeed, I thought it was dead for some time, but on holding it near the fire, it revived a little. Our Dusun followers made their encampment under a dry, overhanging rock, a quarter of a mile ahead of us. We had a view of the great waterfall on the bare granite rocks of the mountain opposite, and could hear the dash of its current into the stream below very plainly.
After dinner we made up a good fire; and never did I fancy a cup of hot coffee so delicious as this seemed to be; while the primest of fragrant Havannahs have been far less comforting than was the modest cigarette of native grown tobacco, which one of my followers made and presented to me on the spot. Our fire blazed up brightly, and diffused both warmth and fragrance in our rocky dwelling; and, wrapping our rugs and blankets around us, we were soon asleep, surrounded by our Labuan men, who crowded around the fire, and kept it replenished with fuel throughout the night.