NOTES ON SUMATRA. 165 
samak" of the natives; the last five plants are however always a sign 
of some admixture of fresh water, and have led to the discovery, in 
many instances, of small springs, rising in little clay basins carefully 
concealed among the bushes, but known to the natives of the archipe- 
lago, who, in their fishing excursions, get a scanty supply of brackish 
water from them. In these places there is no regular beach, the waves 
break up at high water under the arched roots of the Mangroves and 
among the asparagoid suckers, rising in long lines through the mud 
from the far extending roots of the Perupat, whose dingy grey foliage, 
crooked branches, and sturdy trunks contrast well with the bright 
green leaves, gaudy stipules, and lithesome habit of their neighbours, 
swinging and glancing in the sun at the stroke of every advancing wave, 
upon whose surface float thickly the fallen flowers and strange long- 
pointed embryos of the one, and the purple filamentous stamens and 
ligulate petals of the other. When the tide is out, the ends of the 
leaves of the curious genus Enhalus may be seen floating in the shallow 
water; and at spring-tides, when only, I believe, the plant blossoms, 
the white anthers, detaching themselves from the submerged and nearly 
sessile male flowers, are seen drifting over the water like fairy navies in 
search of the fixed female flowers, whose long stalks bear them to the 
surface, The fruit of this plant, which is round, hairy, and generally 
much encrusted with mud, is eaten by the natives under the name of 
“ Buak laut," or sea fruit; the seeds are slightly farinaceous, and taste 
like chestnuts soaked in salt water: of the curious economy of this 
plant I think I gave you an account before. I saw not unfrequently in 
such situations, growing among stones half-imbedded in mud, a plant 
With ovate, translucent leaves and stipules, like those of a Potamogeton, 
the leaves on long petioles from the joints of the creeping radicant 
stem, but I have sought in vain for the flowers or fruit; several minute 
Zosteracee are also common, but generally where the mud is more 
sandy. 
The sandy beaches yield a greater variety of plants: the common 
sca Pandanus forms sometimes almost impenetrable thickets, and oc- — 
casionally the sweet-scented variety or species, * Pandan Wanyi” of 
the natives, is seen; but I believe it has been accidentally planted, as - 
it usually affects fresh water. Among the most usual plants on the 
sand are Cassia cesia, Vitex Negundo, Cycas circinalis ; “ Puku laut," or 
Sea Fern; Paritium tiliaceum, “ Barou” or ** Warou;” Casuarina litto- 
