222 The Gardens of the Sun. [ch. xr. 



cocoa-nut cultivated here, one bearing small oblong fruits 

 of a bright orange 3 r ellow colour, the milk of which was 

 delicious in flavour, and another, the outer husk of which 

 could be eaten in its young state, it being white as ivory, 

 and very sweet and tender. 



I have already alluded to a breed of ponies as being 

 peculiar to the island. These are larger and in every 

 way better than the Deli breed, imported to Singapore 

 from Sumatra. They are never shod, nor is emascula- 

 tion ever resorted to. Goats and poultry are very 

 abundant. Of the former, a dark brown race resembling 

 deer in gracefulness and activity, are kept by the hill 

 people. The fowls of Sulu are distinct from those of 

 Borneo, and are believed not to be many degrees removed 

 from their wild prototypes. Of the other natural produce 

 of the island the frutto del mare deserves notice, being 

 especially valuable, worth, indeed, man}^ thousands of 

 dollars yearly. Pearls of all colours in quantity and of 

 excellent quality, are obtained here yearly by the divers, 

 most of whom are of the ubiquitous Badjow or Sea gipsy 

 race. Tons of pearl shell (tepoy) and sea slug or beche 

 de mer (Holothuria), of different kinds, are also exported 

 annually. 



This last repulsive-looking product is picked off the 

 coral reefs at low water, and after being dried is esteemed 

 a great delicacy by the Chinese, to whom it is sold. The 

 pearl-shell obtained here is of fine quality, each valve 

 being frequently as large as an ordinary dinner-plate, and 

 an inch in thickness. At least a dozen kinds of salt-water 

 fish are obtainable, and I frequently saw the fishing-boats 

 off the town at night, each with a light gleaming over the 

 water, and I noticed that they all seemed to have secured 

 a, fair supply of fish when the}' came alongside in the 

 morning. 



