Page:Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society (IA journalofstra13141884roya).pdf/287

 its confluence with the main river. The Sungei Damit is a deep, sluggish stream shut in by high muddy banks. Here we halted at the house of the Datus Bandara and Tumonggong—a large, long structure of the ordinary Dusun barn-like type. A sago extracting apparatus was set up on the river bank here, in which product a moderate trade exists there. I had, en route, noticed cocoa-nut and arcca palms, bananas, kěladi, and paddy in profusion. The country is in fact very prosperous, in despite of the ravages of the memorable flood of January, 1883, which was very destructive in the Tawaran district. From the Datu Tumonggong's conversation, it appeared that a tamu, or market, was held at a place two days' journey up the Sungei Damit, to which the people of Kiau—the village on the flanks of Kina Balu, visited by Messrs. and at different times—came down to trade. The route was, however, at present closed, owing to a bloodfeud.

Returning in the afternoon to house, we started, after a light repast, for Tempeluri, a village some distance up the Tawâran, reaching the house of a Datu  at about 3  The Tawâran is here a fine rapid stream, bordered on its true right bank by wooded hills, and on its left by level ground well planted with cocoa-nuts, with paddy fields beyond, bounded by hills in the back-ground. The height of the river rendering it impossible for us to proceed to Bawang or Lokob, we returned to our head-quarters in house at the foot of the hill of Tagerangan, after a tramp of altogether some 15 miles or more. In the evening a native of Kiau, named, arrived. This man, in the course of conversation, declared that no man had ever yet reached the true summit of Kina Balu, which, he asserted, is inaccessible from every side when once a certain elevation has been reached, the remainder of the ascent being sheer precipice. He added that there is a Dusun legend to the effect that a deep lake exists on the top. This is probably only a deduction on their part, drawn from the existence of perennial cataracts dashing down the topmost precipices, which form a magnificent feature in the landscape on the Tawâran.

The climate in the Tawâran valley is superb. At 5