Chapter VIII: The Mountain of Kina Balu

FIRST EXPEDITION.

First Ascent by Mr. Low--Want of Shoes--Set Sail for the
Tampasuk--Beautiful Scenery--The Abai--Manufacture
of Nipa Salt--Uses of the Nipa Palm--A Lanun Chief--Baju
Saddle--Baju a Non-walker--Our ride to the Tampasuk--Gigantic
Mango Trees--The Datu’s House--Its Arrangements--The Datu and
his People--Piratical Expedition--A Bride put up to
Auction--The Bajus--Mixed Breeds--Quarrels with the
Lanuns--Effect of Stealing Ida’an Children--Fable of the Horse
and his Rider--Amount of Fighting Men--Freedom of the
Women--Killing the Fatted Calf--Beautiful Prospect--A new
Gardinia--Pony Travelling--Difficulty of procuring Useful
Men--Start--An Extensive Prospect--Cocoa-nuts and
their Milk--A View of Kina Balu--Granite Débris--Our
Guides--Natives Ploughing--Our Hut--Division of
Land--Ginambur--Neatest Village-house in the Country--Its
Inhabitants--Tatooing--Curiosity--Blistered Feet--Batong--Granite
Boulders--Fording--Fish-traps--Tambatuan--Robbing
a Hive--Search for the Youth-restoring
Tree--Our Motives--Appearance of the Summit of Kina
Balu--A long Story--Swimming the River--Koung--Palms
not plentiful--Lanun Cloth--Cotton--Nominal Wars--The
Kiladi--Attempt to Levy Black-mail at the Village
of Labang Labang--Resistance--Reasons for demanding
it--Bamboo flat-roofed Huts--Ingenious Contrivance--Kiau--Dirty
Tribe--Recognition of Voice--A Quarrel--Breaking the
Barometer--Opposition to the Ascent of Kina Balu--Harmless
Demonstration--Thieves--Mr. Low unable to Walk--Continue the
Expedition alone--Cascade--Prayers to the Spirit of the
Mountain--Flowers and Plants--Beautiful
Rhododendrons--Cave--Unskilful Use of the Blow-pipe--Cold--Ascent
to the Summit--Granite Face--Low’s Gully--Noble Terrace--Southern
Peak--Effect of the Air--The Craggy Summit--Distant
Mountain--Dangerous Slopes--Ghostly
Inhabitants--Mist--Superstitions--Collecting
Plants--Descent--Noble Landscape--Difficult
Path--Exhaustion--Mr. Low not Recovered--Disagreeable
Villagers--Recovering the Brass
Wire--Clothing--Distrust--A lively Scene--Our Men
behave well--Return on Rafts to the Datu’s House 230