. Description of a Lake of Sulphuric Acid. 31 
Which frequently fall in these mountains,is very inconsider- 
able: in this state it is gradually absorbed by the sandy soil 
over which it flows, and disappears entirely about half a 
league before arriving at the White River, which then pre- 
serves its primitive colour and taste to its mouth; but if 
the sulphuric river is swelled by the rains, the ground then 
not being capable of absorbing all its waters, it discharges 
itself into the White River at the place where the latter 
intersecis the mountains of Kuendan, and communicates all 
its noxious quahties: the sulphuric acid, combining with 
the particles of argil which the waters of the White River 
contain, unites with them and changes their colour; and 
being then charged with an acid, they kill all the fish at 
their mouth, giving violent colics to those who drink of 
them, besides destroying all the vegetation on their banks. 
Such are the phenomena which the waters of the White, 
River exhibit: it is very unlucky that this river is spoiled 
by the sulphurous waters of Songi pouti, since, as I have 
already observed, it waters a very large tract of country 
which would otherwise be very fertile: it would perhaps 
be easy, however, to turn the course of the waters of Songe 
pouti, by opening a passage for them between the moun- 
tains of Kuendan and Racienpo; or to separate their bed 
from that of the White River at the place where they join 
it. I descended into the bed of the Songi poutt, and I 
walked over more than a quarter of a league: the waters 
were low at this period, and [I do not think the whole mass 
united exceeded eighteen inches in breadth by as many in 
depth. In the Jargest hollows the river is not more than 
twenty-five feet broad and two feet deep. It 1s easy to see 
the places which the waters have reached by the traces of 
corrosion which they have left on the rocks and on the soil, 
and the want of vegetation, which has been burnt up 
Wherever they have been. 
The back part of these mountains, from Ohonponoph to 
about half a league from the banks of the White River, is 
dry and hilly, composed cf innumerable volcanic Udejec- 
tions forming a toarse sand. The soil is almost every 
where covered with a very tall grassy plant of the genus 
Saccharum, called by the Javanese Allan. We meet with 
trees in the valleys only, these places serving ‘as so many 
retreats for a great number of tigers and numerous herds 
of deer. ‘The banks of the White River near its source are 
fertile, and traces of cultivation are to be met with. 
In the evening, a short tinie after our return to Ohonpo- 
noph, the valley was covered with the noxious fog above 
l2 alluded 
