628 



ANNUAL REGISTER, I8l6. 



watered with meandering rills, 

 that flow froin the mountain's 

 side, clear as the ci ystal. 



Here may be seen standing in 

 perfect peace and amity with each 

 other, the Hindoo temple and 

 pagoda; the Chinese josshoiise ; 

 tlie Christian chapel, and various 

 other plares of worship ; every 

 one enjoying the unmolested ex- 

 ercise of his religion. 



From hence, the eye stretches 

 over the beautiful strait th;it sepn.- 

 rates tiie island from the main ; 

 and whose glossy surface reflects 

 the faint images of the clouds 

 above, and lofty mountains that 

 tower on each of its sides. 



The tliermometer at the bui- 

 galows, generally ranges from 70 

 to SO degrees ; sometimes at 

 night, however, it stands as low 

 as sixtv-two degrees ; and indeed, 

 so cold did we feel it, that we. 

 generally slept with a blanket 

 over us ; a very rai-e occurrence 

 within six degrees of the equator. 



As soon as it gets dark on this 

 mountain, there arises on every 

 side, a singul ir concert of birds 

 and insects, which deprived us of 

 sleep for the first night or two. 

 Far above tlie rest, the trumpeter 

 (a very curious aiumal, about an 

 inch in lengtii) saluted our ears 

 1 ■'•ulavlv for a few houi's after 

 suiiset, with a sound so strong, 

 that the tirst time I heard it, I 

 actually thought a party of dra- 

 goons were approaching the bun- 

 galows, nor coidd I be pcj'suaded 

 for some time, that such a dimi- 

 nutive creature could possibly 

 possess organs capable of emitting 

 such a tremendojsly loud note. 



Deer of a very curious species, 

 are sometimes, though rarely, 

 found in the \yood5 of this island ; 



but lions, tigers, and other fero- 

 cious animals, are unknown. A 

 tiger did once swItu across from 

 the Qucda shore, and made for 

 the mouiitains here, but was sliot 

 soon after his lauding j he was 

 supjjosed to be the only one that 

 ever was on tiie island. Birds of 

 the most beautiful plumage, are 

 seen on almo-t every branch of a 

 t:ee, through this island ; but 

 niitiire has been so very bountiful 

 in clothing them with her most 

 gaudy liberies, that shehas thought 

 proper to make a drawback, by 

 depriving them of the melodious 

 tones which so often charm us in 

 birds of a move homely cxtci ior. 



There is, hovv;-ver, one small 

 bird on this island (whose mv.v.e 

 1 forget), which perches am.ong 

 the leaves of the tall arcca tree, 

 and sings mornings and evening-, 

 in a style far su|)erior to that of 

 any bird I iiave seen between the 

 tropics. 



The .-Vrgus pheasant is found 

 in this island, but they are gene- 

 rally brought over dried, from 

 the Malay coast, where they 

 abound, and are here sold for a 

 dollar each. 



With respect to the domestic ani- 

 mals, they are but few ; and tho.>;e 

 brought from the neighbouiing 

 parts : horses from Pedir, on the 

 coast of Sumatra ,• buffaloes from 

 Qucda J and sheep, &c. fiom 

 Bengal. 



The buffaloes are brought over 

 from the opposite coast, in a very 

 curious manner ; six or eight of 

 them being collected together on 

 the beach, thongs of leather, or 

 pieces of rattan, are pa«si d in at 

 one nostril and out at the other, 

 then made fast to the sides and 

 stern of the boat, which is pushed 



off 



