e 
44 LETTERS FROM JAMES MOTLEY, ESQ. 
the absence of the Anacardiaceous plant, whose bright red young 
leaves make it very conspicuous. The banks are now fringed chiefly 
with two or three species of Arundo and Saccharum, mingled with 
several species of Phyllanthus, in habit very much like willows, the 
whole matted together with Ipomea, a small Cucumis, and a weedy- 
looking Cissus, or something of that kind. Plants here are very 
social in their habits. After the river’s bank has been clothed for à 
mile or two as described, the grasses and climbers will vanish for a 
similar distance, giving place to a dense thicket of Hibiscus populneus, 
one of the most beautiful plants we have; though very common ; the 
flowers are large, golden yellow, with a deep puce centre; they are 
however in beauty early in the morning only, unless on a cloudy 
day, fading after a few hours’ sunshine to a dingy dirty red. This in 
its turn will give way to a species of Pandanus with long straight 
trunks, ten or twelve feet high, and very glaucous leaves; and here and 
- there, where the bank has slipped down into the stream with the water- 
side vegetation, you get a glimpse, among the tall trunks, green and 
grey with Lichens and Hepatice, into the dark, swampy forest, tangled 
with huge creepers, and reeking with vapour. I always used to con- 
rive, if possible, to stop at one of these places to cook, because else- 
| where I could not get into the jungle. But except Cryptogams there is 
little to be seen; below, Pipers, Pothos and Freycinetias are the princi- 
pal visible plants, sticking close to the trees, and a few Arums and 
. Scitaminee are generally to be found growing in the mud and water. 
I got however a few Mosses and abundance of Hepatice, but rarely in 
fruit; some of the latter, growing upon living leaves, are very curious. 
e went up the river four days before coming to any houses, which 
th their rice elearings materially altered the landscape; but there 
was not a hill to be seen two fect above the water. 
The people are all Malays and Mahommedans, and are well off, and 
apparently happy. At this part of the river the prevailing features are 
the Cocoa-nut and Gomuti Palms, and vast plantations or rather jungles 
of Plantains ; these are generally of a coarse seedy kind, but contain a 
great deal of farina, and are most valued as food, not as a luxury; 
whenever they are planted, they soon take possession of the ground, 
io the exclusion of everything else, and are very ornamental, as they 
grow to a great height and size. A vast variety of fruit-trees are culti- 
vated, but very few vegetables; some species of Luffa and Cucumis, the 
