228 RELATION BETWEEN CLIMATE AND VEGETATION 



stantly changed by tlie plotigli, the axe, or the miner's blasts. 

 Foreign vegetation is mixed with indigenous ; and plants which 

 t!ie country formerly produced are destroyed, or have vanished. 

 We must go then to other parts of the world^to countries which 

 still retain their original aspect, and whicli have not yet been 

 under the influence of mankind — in order to establish the truth 

 of what has been said above. 



I have been so fortunate as to see such a country, the greatest 

 part of which is still in its original state, such as it was when it 

 first went forth from the womb of the creation — where every 

 object displays its unaltered character — where, above all things, 

 the vegetable kingdom presents extraordinary vigour and a high 

 degree of the most varied development ; from which we may 

 infer that the most favourable circumstances have combined to 

 produce the most luxuriant vegetation. 



While still in the distance, on arriving from the Indian Ocean 

 in the Straits of Sunda, and on passing the island of Java, the 

 sensation of joy at the near termination of a long sea voyage is 

 greatly heightened by the view of thickly-wooded land, which 

 presents itself on all sides, and particularly on the coast of Java. 

 Behind the lofty summits of palms, which appear at and near the 

 shore, a wide extent of plain shows itself rising gradually from 

 the sea, and upon which are spread dark green groups of timber 

 trees ; and farther on the horizon is bounded by the dark green 

 forests whicii cover the lofty mountains. These views are the 

 more surprising, when the traveller calls to mind the sparing vege- 

 tation on the Canaries and the Cape-de-Verds, and on the bare 

 flat table-mountains of Africa. Once ashore, the muddy banks 

 are soon left behind ; although even there occur singularly strange 

 figures, which captivate the stranger's attention. Rapidly pro- 

 ceeding through the palisade-like trunks of the Mangroves, and 

 the fans of Nipa Palms which hide their stems in mud, one can 

 only adnure witii a glance the gorgeous flowers of Barringtonias 

 and Sonneratias, and the balls of fruit hanging thickly from the 

 long-leaved Screw-pines. Hence the road leads fur a long way 

 through inhabited and cultivated plains. Farther on the ground 

 gradually rises ; but signs of industry are far from disappearing. 

 Rice-fields surround the bases of the mountains ; their terraced 

 squares, resembling the steps of a staircase, are packed one 

 above the other, and form innumerable cascades ; after which 

 succeeds the dark green shining foliage of unknown bushes, which 

 join the upper forest, and form a slight transition from the culti- 

 vated ground to that where Nature is found in all her glory. 



Before, however, entering the primitive forests, let us throw 

 back a glance upon the long slopes, and convince ourselves that 

 there is no bare ground to be seen — that from our elevated posi- 



