358 TRAVELS IN THE EAST INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO. 



pond, and tlie houses on its four sides are all placed 

 facing its centre. The hedges that border the house- 

 lots are mostly composed of rose-bushes, and the 

 pond itself is nearly filled with the richly-colored 

 and fragrant lotus, JSfymphcBa lotus^ a large water- 

 lily, held sacred in Egypt and India as the symbol 

 of creation. It is the beautiful flower upon which 

 Buddha is rej)resented as sitting in each of the 

 great images, where he is supposed to personify the 

 Past, the Present, and the Future, three immense 

 statues, to be seen in any of the thousand temples in 

 the East dedicated to that heathen god. The " lotus " 

 or " lotos " of northern Africa, the fruit of which was 

 supposed to possess the wonderful power of making 

 all who tasted it forget their "homes and friends 

 and native shores," is a tree, the Celtis Australis. If 

 the ancients, who delighted so much in fables and 

 myths, had only known of this charming place, 

 they would have located their lotus-land here in the 

 distant East, where the air is so pure and balmy, and 

 the scenery so enchanting. 



About a mile and a half beyond Tompasso we 

 came to a number of " mud- wells," and I began to 

 examine them ; but, as a heavy shower was now seen 

 coming up, my attendant and I again leaped into our 

 saddles and dashed off at a fast canter to Langowan, 

 where the chief very politely insisted on my remain- 

 ing with him instead of going to the next village — 

 an invitation I was happy to accept, for I was deter- 

 mined not to leave this wonderftd region until I had 

 visited all the hot-springs in the vicinity, especially 

 as the missionary here offered to go with me on the 



