Life in the forests of the Far East (vol. 1 of 2)St. John, Spenser, Sir
History
Life in the forests of the Far East (vol. 1 of 2)
St. John, Spenser, Sir
Borneo -- Description and travel; Natural history -- Borneo; St. John, Spenser, Sir, 1825-1910 -- Travel -- Borneo
We continued our walk along the ridge until we had reached an elevation
of 4,500 feet, when the path descended to the pleasant stream, or
rather torrent, of Kina Taki, in which greenstone was the principal
rock. All the rivulets we have passed to-day fall into the Dahombang,
which continues its course until, winding round the bluff point of
Labang Labang, it joins the Tampasuk. Another steep climb of 800 feet
brought us to the Marei Parei spur, to the spot where the ground was
covered with the magnificent pitcher-plants, of which we had come in
search. This one has been called the _Nepenthes Rajah_, and
is a plant about four feet in length, with broad leaves stretching
on every side, having the great pitchers resting on the ground in a
circle about it. Its shape and size are remarkable. I will give the
measurement of a small one, to indicate the form: the length along the
back was nearly fourteen inches; from the base to the top of the column
in front was five inches; and its lid was a foot long by fourteen
inches broad, and of an oval shape. Its mouth was surrounded by a
plaited pile, which near the column was two inches broad, lessening
in its narrowest part to three-quarters of an inch. The plaited pile
of the mouth was also undulating in broad waves. Near the stem the
pitcher is four inches deep, so that the mouth is situated upon it in a
triangular manner. The colour of an old pitcher was a deep purple, but
that of the others is generally mauve outside, very dark indeed in the
lower part, though lighter towards the rim; the inside is of the same
colour, but has a kind of glazed and shiny appearance. The lid is mauve
in the centre, shading to green at the edges. The stems of the female
flowers we found always a foot shorter than those of the male, and the
former were far less numerous than the latter. It is indeed one of the
most astonishing productions of nature.
Mr. Low set to work enthusiastically to collect specimens, while I
tried to procure some compass bearings; but the mist kept driving
over the country, so that I had only one good opportunity. I rested
the compass on a rock, and was surprised by its pointing in a very
different direction from what the position of the sun showed it
should. On raising it in my hands, it pointed correctly. I found, on
examination, that the rock was covered with a thick coating of iron,
and all in the neighbourhood were in a similar state. To-day we reached
an elevation of 5,400 feet. The path we followed was tolerably good;
we were told that it led to the village of Sayap, a branch of the Kiau
tribe.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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