190 The Gardens of the Sun. [ch. rx. 



to preserve. Their frantic leaping, splashing and yell- 

 ing in the little stream and on its banks also frightened 

 away many birds before we could get within range, while 

 anything like remonstrance was so much labour thrown 

 away. White and green paroquets flew screaming over- 

 head as they left the tall trees near the coast, where 

 they had evidently roosted for the night, and were now 

 most probably on their way to their feeding grounds, 

 the fruit trees in the forest further inland. We crossed 

 several cultivated patches, and growing in clumps near 

 the native houses we saw quantities of Musa textilis 

 cultivated here, and also in the Philippines, the fibre 

 being used for cordage, and it is also largely imported 

 into this country under the name of " manilla hemp." 

 On waste places beside the river, Quisqiuilis indica 

 was very abundant, forming bushes about four feet 

 in height, its slender branches being literally borne 

 down to the ground by the weight of its flowers, 

 which hung in immense clusters from the points of its 

 branches. 



On our return we made a detour to the right and came 

 upon several graves, a few of which were fenced in with 

 bushes and had rude headstones, or a post to mark the 

 spot. Other graves were neglected and overgrown with 

 weeds. Here a variety of the " Frangipane " (Plumieria 

 acuminata), was very lovely, bearing immense clusters of 

 its waxy flowers which exhale a most delicious odour. 

 These flowers are white with a 3'ellow centre, and are 

 flushed with purple behind. This plant, or, as seen here 

 in Sulu, small tree, is common throughout the Malay 

 region, and is by the natives esteemed as a suitable deco- 

 ration for the graves of their friends. Its Malay name of 

 " Bunga orang sudah mati," meaning literally, "Dead 

 man's flower." We returned to the river near the 



