LETTERS FROM JAMES MOTLEY, ESQ. 45 
common red Pumpkin, some Capsicums, and one or two species of 
Celosia and Amaranthus, used as spinach, are nearly all, except, of 
course, Yams and Sweet Potatoes, which are universal here. Of sweet- 
scented flowers, such as Jasmines, Michelia, Tabernemontana, and 
several strong-scented Anonacee, they are very fond; the Tuberose is a 
prime favourite, but Roses are in no esteem—they are not strong 
enough for Malay organs. They make amends however for the paucity 
of their flower-gardens by cultivating a great abundance of medicinal 
plants of real or fancied virtues, and about these they are never tired 
of talking; most of their properties are rather magical than remedial. 
The object of my journey was to examine some beds of coal; so 
when I reached the Rajah’s town, I asked him for a boat and men, 
mine being too big to go up the rivers. After the two or three days’ —— 
delay, without which no Malay ever did or can do anything, I got them, — — 
and away we went. It was a small canoe, about eighteen feet long, and 
just wide enough for two people to lie down abreast, rather closely 
packed; in this there were nine of us, so you may believe it was rather — 
close work, but it was a delightful trip. We went up a smaller river, — 
called Chenaku; it was at first a black, alligatorish-looking stream, 
fringed chiefly with a Zicus with small oval polished leaves and little 
pink fruit, whose pendent roots dropped everywhere into the stream, _ 
which for a long distance was very tortuous. Thejungle here was very _ 
fine, the most striking tree being an enormous Terminalia, with a can- 
delabriform head, and a tall smooth trunk; this and an equally large ; 
-Dipteraceous tree were the most common. Calami were in great 
abundance, and some very handsome: I counted sixteen species, and 
nearly all different to those I knew at Labuan. There was also a 
splendid caulescent Palm, called Ibul, with a very tall straight stem, 
as white as ivory, and a noble light green head, but this we did not 
see until we got to the hills, nearly one hundred miles from the sea. 
Two species of Calophyllum were very abundant, and, being covered. 
with blossom, completely perfumed the air with the scent of Rosa 
canina; a splendid scarlet Jrora, and a climbing sensitive Mimosa, 
with yellow-white stamens, four inches long, were among the most « 
namental plants I saw; another, of which I sent seeds to Kew, was 
Cucurbitaceous plant, with large brilliant scarlet fruit. —— Si 
The river, after going up about three days, had become shallow. sii 
rapid, so as to make the amilin of our canoe rather "meio 
