SIR THOMAS STAMFORD RAFFLES. 39 



magnitude of the flowers, creepers, and trees, con- 

 trasts strikingly with the stunted, and, I had almost 

 said, pigmy vegetation of England. Compared with 

 our fruit-trees, your largest oak is a mere dwarf. 

 Here we have creepers and vines entwining larger 

 trees, and hanging suspended for more than 100 

 feet, in girth not less than a man's body, and many 

 much thicker ; the trees seldom under 100, and ge- 

 nerally approaching 160 to 200 feet in height. 



" From Pulo Laber we started at half-past five, and 

 halted at eight to breakfast. At eleven we reached 

 the Sindangare river, where we took some refresh- 

 ment, and in the evening, about half-past five, reach- 

 ed Barong Rasam. 



" The day's journey was most fatiguing, and not 

 less than thirty miles, entirely through a thick forest, 

 and over stupendous mountains, one of which, call- 

 ed the Sindangan mountain, could not have been 

 less than between 4000 and 5000 feet high. Neither 

 on this nor on the preceding day was there vestige 

 of population or cultivation ; nature was throughout 

 allowed to reign undisturbed, and from the traces 

 of elephants in every direction, they alone, of the 

 animal kingdom, seemed to have explored the re- 

 cesses of the forest. 



" We got on, however, very well ; and though we 

 were all occasionally much fatigued, we did not com- 

 plain. Lady Raffles was a perfect heroine. The 

 only misfortune at this stage was a heavy fall of rain 

 during the night, which penetrated our leafy dwell- 



