EAllTHQrAKK. 225 



serve, as well as an ornament for the dinner- 

 table. There is some trouble in refining it, as 

 it requires frequent boilings before it attains the 

 requisite transparency. 



At Singapore I observed some filaments from 

 a plant, which was described as growing abun- 

 dantly at Malacca. These filaments display 

 much irritability on the application of warmth, 

 and will twist and turn about for a long pe- 

 riod afterwards. They are named Naga-pusing 

 by the Malays, which signifies " to turn or 

 twist round." Each filament is covered with a 

 very minute pubescence. They appear to be 

 the awns probably of a species of Anthistiria. 

 They are used by the natives, in form of de- 

 coction, as an external remedy in eruptive 

 diseases. 



On the 24th of November, (Sunday,) three 

 shocks of an earthquake were experienced at the 

 island of Singapore ; the first shock lasted three 

 minutes, and occasioned the lamps to swing, 

 chairs to rock, &c., commencing at twenty 

 minutes after eight, p. m. A slight shock was 

 again experienced at three a. m. ; and another 

 very slight shock at five a. m. of the following 

 morning. 



An earthquake, it seems, was felt in India, at 

 Ghazeepore, an account of which I copy from 



VOL. II. Q 



