300 The Gardens of the Sun. [ca xiv. 



to cross a grassy plain, the mud and water being up to 

 our waist-belts in places, and the tall coarse grasses 

 arched over our heads so that for a mile or more one 

 has to flounder up this grassy sewer, the effluvia from the 

 festering mud and the heat being alike almost unbear- 

 able. We at last reached the low sandstone hills and padi 

 fields near the Badjow village, and were glad to know that 

 we were within a mile or two of our destination. Then 

 came another case of floundering through a wet rice field 

 in a drenching shower, up to the knees in unctuous black 

 mud, remarkably warm, too, it felt to the legs and feet. 

 After all our struggles, however, we reached the Resi- 

 dency about four o'clock, dirty, wet, and tired. Here we 

 found M. Peltzer in charge, although looking very pale 

 and ill. We found out that he was suffering from low 

 fever and dysentery, although fortunately not in anything 

 like its worst phases. A bath and clean dry clothes was 

 the first thing, after which we were glad to sit and rest 

 ourselves ere dinner time. We discovered that our friend, 

 M. Peltzer, had formerly studied in the Horto-Agricul- 

 tural College, founded by the late M. Van Houtte, at 

 Ghent, and that he had come here to make experiments 

 in the culture of tapioca, tobacco, and other kinds of 

 tropical produce. He related to us an account of a jour- 

 ney made into the interior as far as Sineroup, in the 

 course of which he had lost three buffaloes in the streams. 

 Altogether we passed a very pleasant evening, glad to be 

 so near the termination of a long, and at this time of the 

 year, a very critical journey. The accommodation here 

 was luxurious to what we had been accustomed to, and in 

 spite of mosquitoes we slept the sleep of the thoroughly 

 weary. 



August 24th. — We arose soon after 5 a.m., and calling 

 our followers, bade them prepare our boat for the home- 



