CHAPTER XIV.
Plant collecting—Large nepenthes— Sociable birds—Mountain climbing
—Cold nights—Descent—Safe return to Kiau—Old skulls—Tree
ferns—Fine climate—Land culture—Crossing rivers—“ Lapayang’s”
welcome—Tarippe fruit—l; Benhau ”—Pleasant evening at Kamba-
tuan village—Graceful young girls—Bundoo—Little gardens en
route—Ghinambaur village—A hard day’s walking—Return to the
Tampassuk—Short-tailed buffaloes—Two-homed rhinoceros—Return
to Labuan—Smith’s illness—Success of the expedition.
August 16th.—We were up by daybreak; and while
“ Jeludin” was preparing breakfast, I went out with
the men collecting such plants as I wanted, and packing
them in the native sago-sheath baskets (granjombs) with
which we had provided ourselves. I was anxious to begin
thus early, as I wanted to start most of the men back to
Kiau to-day. After three or four hours’ hard work, we
loaded twelve men and started them off on the downward
journey; and as we intended staying two days longer up
the mountain, they had orders to collect other plants
which I had pointed out to them near Kiau. After starting
them off, I was glad to take breakfast before exploring
further for other things which I much wished to
procure. After our repast I started off over the ridge of
the spur, progress,, however, being very slow, as nearly
all the way one had to climb through branches, roots, or
low shrubs. A glossy-leaved begonia, with large white
flowers, was common beside the streams, and three species
of ccelogyne were met with .growing among the rocks and
bushes. A great many small-flowered orchids, of various
genera were seen, but few were in bloom. Dacrydium,
phyllocladus, and a peculiar casuarina of drooping habit
were seen, and several herbaceous plants, among which I
noted a drosera and a species of dianella, much resembling
those of Australia. Among ferns were at least two species
of trichomanes, two or three gleichenias, a peculiar form
of dipteris resembling D. Horsfieldii, but dwarfer and
quite glaucous, nearly white indeed below, and a strong-
growing blechnum. Several mosses in fruit were gathered,
and most of them were either absolutely new, or had not
been discovered in Borneo before. Here and there I came
across patches of an acre or two in extent of rocky
mountain side without any tree-growth. These rocky
patches were carpeted with coarse sedges, among which
the great Nepenthes Rajah grew luxuriantly, an enoimous
crimson-tinted pitcher depending from each of its laige
lower leaves. These gigantic urns were for the most
part filled with rain-water, among which were the remains
of ants, beetles, and other insect-life. Nearly all the
pitchers were found resting on the surface of the earth,
and in most cases they were hidden by the overhanging
leaves, sedges, and debris among which the plants grow.
It was, in the case of the younger specimens—plants a
foot high or so—that the pitchers were most evident and
luxuriant. Seedlings of this size were even more ornamental
than their big jug-bearing brethren. Here and
there were specimens of N. Rajah, great clumps having
stems five or six feet in height, with very broad massive
leaves, and pitchers capable of holding two or three pints
of water. It is these large plants which flower most
freely, some of the stems bearing three or four spikes of
their rich maroon-tinted blossoms, around which two or
three kinds of flies or gnats were playing in the sunshine.