Page:Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society (IA journalofstra13141884roya).pdf/325

 about a mile. After this, we had to climb by roots of trees, stumps and branches, and made but slow progress. I cannot say now whether this portion of our journey was on the face of a cliff or not. We could see absolutely nothing around us but trees and roots, and these overhung with such a thick coating of brown moss, ferns and orchids, that above and below were equally hidden. Sometimes we crept in and out under these roots and over them, or climbed a tree to get to some ledge near its upper branches, but where we were going, or how far we were, could only be guessed from the barometer. I do not suppose, however, that any one could climb so steep an ascent with less danger. One could not fall. It would puzzle any person to throw a stone more than a few yards. amid such a thicket.

At five thousand feet by the aneroid, we began to see the first specimens of that graceful fern Matonia pectinata. This has never been previously recorded from Pêrak, and the only habitats are Java and Mount Ophir near Malacca, where it is associated with Dipteris Horsfeldii. The latter forn we had seen 1,000 feet below, and it occurs on all the mountains of Perak at heights a little over 3,500 feet but at Singapore it is found at the sea level. Besides this, there was plenty to see and admire in the way of ferns, orchids and mosses, with many curious fungi and lichens, for the moisture and deep shade made the place the very home of the cryptogamia. But the climbing was such very hard work, that attention to anything else was almost impossible. At about 5,400 feet, the entire vegetation changed. It was still a thicket, but more or less stunted and twiggy, very distressing to climb. I cannot say how long it continued, but long before I expected it, we suddenly found ourselves on an open level space, on the summit of Mount Bubu.