INDO-CHINA 21 



evergreen rain-forests. They offer, in their fastnesses, 

 a veritable jumble of sharp ridges, precipitous slopes, and 

 deep gullies, hidden beneath dense and tall forests, whose 

 distribution is regulated by altitude. Thus the secluded 

 valleys support on their lower slopes regular equatorial 

 selvas, in the clearings of which equatorial agriculture is 

 practised. The greater portion of the mountains, how- 

 ever, is under rain-forests of the sub-tropical type, which 

 may be characterized by tea and camellia, though on the 

 upper slopes, oaks and pines are to be found in abun- 

 dance, and mark temperate, even northern, conditions. 

 In the Shan states, the plateaus of 3,000 to 5,000 feet 

 in elevation, crossed by still higher ridges, display rich 

 grassy expanses. Buffalo, rhinoceros, boar, tiger, deer, 

 jungle-fowl, peacock, egrets, and snipe are still found in 

 abundance in this broken and wild region. Thus, on the 

 sea side, the excessive ground moisture, and in the high- 

 lands, the atmospheric humidity, restrict the true mon- 

 soon type of vegetation to the plains of Siam and Burma. 

 It is even possible that the practice of grass-burning, 

 common to all savana lands, has favoured the extension 

 of the jungle. 



It would be difficult to exaggerate the importance of this 

 south-east corner of Asia in the economic development of 

 the world. Here, indeed, is said to be the original home 

 of rice, banana, and sugar-cane, three of the most uni- 

 versally essential articles of diet : our common lemon and 

 orange are found wild : similarly, the melon and cucumber 

 are among the indigenous plants of this region. Spices 

 such as pepper, ginger, cinnamon, and cardamom, gums 

 as betel, &c., rubber-plants as many species of ficus, 

 gutta-percha plants, tea-trees, camphor-wood trees, and 

 the valuable teak-tree, are all natives here; but the 

 enumeration of all the economic products would be too 

 long. 



