We started early next morning, and after three hours climbing of the sub-spurs, which were occasionally very steep, we reached the ridge of the great buttress, and the walking became easier. We passed to-day the hut that I had constructed on the former occasion. As I have before observed, this ridge is occasionally very narrow, and where it has been exposed to the full force of the monsoons, the trees bent over us, so as often to necessitate our crawling beneath their overhanging trunks; for those who carried burdens it was tiresome work, particularly as the ground and trees were covered with soppy moss, cold and unpleasant to the touch. Where we did not crawl, we had often to advance in a stooping posture. Occasionally we passed between fine forest trees, with thickly-growing bamboo beneath them, but these were only to be found in deep or sheltered spots. When we joined the first ridge, we came upon numerous flowers of a rhododendron scattered over the surface of the ground, and it was some time before we could find the plant, but Mr. Low’s quick eye at last discovered it. It looked gorgeous, being completely covered with bunches of flowers of a brilliant scarlet, and in masses of colour, as forty-two blossoms were counted growing in one of the bunches. We at last reached a narrow, rocky ridge, covered with brushwood, but with thousands of plants of the beautiful _Nepenthes Lowii_ growing among them. As water was to be had near, at a little marshy spot, we determined to pitch our tents here, and spend the evening collecting specimens. Our guides, however, strongly objected to this, and declared we must reach the cave to-night; but as this involved a climb of nearly 3,000 feet more, we declined, disregarding their threats that they would leave us where we were and return to their houses. Our coast men appeared totally unfit for such an exertion, though the cold weather had an invigorating effect upon ourselves. There was another great objection to this rapid ascent: it prevented our seeing anything, or enjoying the views that this lovely weather promised to afford. It was true that day the scenery had been obscured by the blinding columns of smoke rising in every direction from the burning felled forest, but that objection might not hold another day. To the eastward, we had glimpses of high mountains, and of a river running through a plain.