408 BANKS OF THE RIVER. 



seated, and gazed at, like a curious animal, by 

 a large crowd of natives of all classes and orders, 

 who, from the eagerness they evinced, and the 

 crowds which assembled around us upon these 

 occasions, seemed to regard Europeans as curiosi- 

 ties. However, instead of waiting to be gazed 

 at, I amused myself by wandering over the 

 bazaar, which was plentifully supplied with 

 sugar-canes, plantains, rice, cucumbers, dried 

 fish, sere, (the leaf of the piper betel,) the Areka 

 nut, or Pinong, cut up ready for mastication, 

 and a quantity of live stock, as small bullocks, 

 ducks, fowls, &c. &c. 



From the bazaar I walked down by the banks 

 of the river, upon the raised paths which inter- 

 sected the numerous marshes, which now, during 

 the dry season, abounded in luxuriant grass and 

 other herbaceous plants, affording fine feeding 

 for the numerous bullocks (of the small hunch- 

 backed Bengal breed) and buffaloes, which roamed 

 about. During the rainy season the whole of 

 this fiat is planted with rice, which, together 

 with the scattered picturesque habitations, and 

 groups of palms and other trees, form, by their 

 combination, a very pleasing landscape. Upon 

 thebanks of the river was the Acrostic humaureum, 

 or " Ongpi" of the natives, as well as the " Ba, 

 jurugu," or Acanthus ilicifolius, covered with 



