1920] Ridley : Peninsular Siamese Plants. 67 



We passed these on February 3rd on our way north 

 to Koh Pipidon situated in lat. 7° 46' N and about 13 miles 

 from the mainland and 20 miles from Junk Seylon to the 

 west. It is the largest of the Vogels, high and wooded, 

 about 4 miles long and two broad. There is a deep bay 

 on the northern side and another, nearly land-locked, in the 

 north-west coast (not shown on the charts). Tliese are 

 separated from each other by a narrow nock of land which 

 connects together the two main portions of the island lying 

 east and west. 



South of Pipidon is Koh Pipithall, a long narrow, nortli 

 and south ridge of limestone with, apparently, a deep fiord 

 near its middle. Many of its summits arc rounded but its 

 sides are precipitous and the north extremity is absolutely 

 perpendicular. 



We anchored in the nortli-west end of the south bay 

 of Koh Pipidon (also known as Pulau Bri-bri) in 8 fathoms. 

 The western part of the island is a long ridge of limestone 

 — like Pipithall, very finely coloured white, grey, red, brown, 

 but more clothed with vegetation ; the eastern portion is of 

 other formation with more gentle and forested slopes. The 

 two are joined by a neck of low sandy land north of which 

 is the newly-noted bay now in process of being filled up 

 with sand. A steep limestone mass rises to the north of 

 its entrance while there is a small mangrove swamp inland 

 at its south-western head. On the east side of the bay the 

 forest is very thin and patchy. 



In south bay beneath the limestone cliffs which form its 

 western side is a flat reef of sand and coral, dry at low tide, 

 which rises fairly steeply : the head of the bay is clean white 

 sand, fairly deep ana shelving and on the eastern side a 

 steep- to reef juts out parallel to the limestone cliffs for some 

 distance : anchorage is between these two. 



The beach which runs all the way along the south side 

 is of fine sand, interrupted in two or three places by out- 

 crops of rock. East of the first of these lie a few huts 

 which form a temporary settlement of Sam-Sams who visit 

 the island for fishing : 2-300 yds. behind the hamlet is small 

 well of bad water ; this was the only water we found on the 

 Island. 



In the forest covering the flat neck were numerous 

 giant CoUocasias 12—14 ft. high with stems a foot through ; 

 the roots are used as food. 



The mangrove swamp which is the last indication of 

 part separation of the east and west higher lands is filling 

 up like the north bay where there is now anchorage for 

 small craft only under its north-east point. 



The wliole island was very dry and except for a little 

 Hlacnflower woody plant {Pseaderanthemiim creniilatnm) , 

 the only blossoms seen were in the beach vegetation. 

 Gycads, Licualas and other palms are common. 



