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Kakhyens said that the seeds germinate on the ground, but that 

 they have seldom seen them over six inches high, and that all the 

 fine trees now to be seen are from the droppings of birds either 

 in the forks of trees, or ferns. This leads to the idea that the 

 seedlings are either destroyed by fires or die from excess of 

 shade. From the little I have seen of the habits of these trees, 

 I consider that they delight in an abundance of light ; for the finest 

 specimens I met with, had unquestionably established their cradle 

 on some high-growing trees ; and that they are naturally of an 

 epiphytical habit, in early growth, is an undisputed fact, I believe. 

 336. Saturday, 13th March 1874.— Thermometer 60°, at 6 a.m. ; 

 heavy fog up to 9 a.m. When in search of Ficus elastica seedlings 

 to-day, our attention was attracted by the incessant and pitiful cry 

 of a deer ; on reaching the place whence the sound came, I found 

 a doe samber jammed in the fork of a tree : evidently she had got 

 locked in endeavouring to escape from the pursuit of some animal, 

 She was very thin, and must have been in this position for the last 

 few days. I put an end to her misery with a bullet from my pistol, 

 but it was with difficulty even then, that she could be disengaged. 

 As we proceeded on, shoals of fish lying under the bank kept jumping 

 some feet out of the water as they were disturbed, and some even 

 sprang into the boats. This afforded great amusement to the crew, 

 who kept striking the water with their poles, and shouting with excite- 

 ment : it seems necessary that these people must give vent to their 

 ebullition of spirits by boisterous exclamations. The fish were Gypri- 

 nus foliata, and Opsarimus gracihi-s, I believe. Specimens were pre- 

 served for future identification. To-day I shot two black pheasants 

 and three otters. We now reached Kamine, and I was busy until a 

 very late horn- planting the seedlings collected, dming the last two 

 days, for they had now been separated from the trees on which they 

 grew, longer than I had intended. I used up all the little baskets 

 we had made, and filled every available box ; still there were num- 

 bers of plants to be provided for. I sent Yan Sing and my guide into 

 the village, to see if they could not purchase some paddy-baskets ; 

 they returned however saying that there were plenty to be had, but 

 that the people would not sell. A happy thought now struck 

 me, and I sent Yan Sing back with a number of empty pint hock 

 bottles ; the bait was irresistible, and I soon found more brought 

 than were required. Having been thwarted hitherto in my attempt 

 to explore the western interior, to any considerable distance, owing 

 to the determined opposition shown by my guide, I thought perhaps 

 here I should be able to obtain a few coolies, and accomplish the 

 excursion I had intended to make from Winelone. I sent for the 

 head-man of the village, who told me that the journey could easily 



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