EXCURSION TO SHAH BILAWUL. 551 
In a swamp, dotted with tussacks of grass,—in the very centre 
of the grove—fed by a hot spring, (110° F., yet in which flour- 
ishes a Conferva,) welling from the white and dazzling chalk-rock, 
—live 100 alligators of all sizes, from the Muggur King of 13ft. 
to the comparatively pretty and active youngster who has just 
chipped the shell. Torpid—inactive—they bask in the sun on - 
the bank, or with their lower halves in the water, rest their broad 
breasts on a cushion of grass and gape continuously, or slowly 
swim, or ungainly waddle. If a sheep is killed and a shrill cry 
uttered, they become alive, and swim, paddle, waddle, rush over 
and against each other, and finally collect in a semicircle round 
the distributor, who gives them large mouthfuls of the quivering 
flesh, and raps them on the nose if they are unruly or impatient. 
Here I just caught them in the act of fertilizing the date. A 
man ascended the male and cut off the yet unopened spathe. He 
split it open and took out the male inflorescence—white and con- 
fert like the head of a cauliflower. Yet, with the pollen quite 
ripe and falling in showers, if the inflorescence was shaken. On 
being asked (intentionally) what was the meaning of this strange 
and insane fit of cutting off the flowers which would yield him 
dates :— 
“No, Sahib,” said he, “these could never become dates—this 
is the male," (Nur.) 
“What palaver is this? male indeed! where is your female?” 
“Yonder, Sahib—this is the male.” : 
After more of this, he explained that one was male, one the 
female (madee), “and this flour (ata) is the semen,” (shaking the 
inflorescence and scattering the pollen.) He then ascended the 
female tree by the stumps of the old petioles, and with his axe, 
cleared away the old circle of leaves of 1847, and dressed up and 
made tidy (as it were) for the bridal. He had previously cut the 
male into little bits, some of which he gently shook over the 
female, and opening out her inflorescence a little, inserted one or 
two bits of the male in it, and descended. 
I had a long talk with him after this, and he said God made 
some plants without either male or female—pointing to the Jujube, 
