24 BERTHA'S VISIT TO HER 



the highest branches with the expertness of a 

 monkey. 



There are some tribes of the Bedahs in the 

 southern part of the island who are rather less 

 wild, and who even carry on a little traffic with 

 the Ceylonese ; but they are so afraid of being 

 made prisoners, that when they want to pro- 

 cure cloth, knives, iron, or any thing of that 

 kind, they approach the town where it is to 

 be had, at night, and deposit in a conspicuous 

 place a fair quantity of goods, such as ivory, or 

 honey, along with a talipot leaf, on which they 

 contrive to express what they want in exchange. 

 On the next night they return, and generally find 

 what they had demanded ; for if their requests are 

 neglected they seldom fail to revenge themselves. 

 Fruits of various kinds are so abundant in 

 Ceylon, that for some time our poor fugitive 

 was supplied with tolerable sustenance ; and he 

 often refreshed himself with the pure limpid 

 water found in the Bandura, a most curious 

 plant, whose leaves terminate in a kind of tube 

 which contains nearly half a pint of water co- 

 vered by a little valve. At last, anxiety brought 

 on a low fever, his strength failed, and he lay 

 under the banyan expecting to die of hunger. 

 Early one morning he was roused from a sort 

 of half stupor, by hearing the low growl of 

 a dog ; and on opening his eyes, he saw a 



