1 1 8 The Gardens of the Sun. [ch. V r. 



pomoloes, Durian, mangoes, tarippe, rambutan, jack fruit 

 and champada, rose apples (jambosa), cocoanuts, man- 

 gosteen, rambi, bananas in variety, limes, guava, papaw, 

 cashew nut, and several others, including the bread-fruit, 

 baloonas, mambangan. The total revenue in 1877 was 

 7,490, the expenditure being 7,995. Imports, total 

 value, 126,594, exports 112,996. Cattle and ponies 

 are cheap thus, good cows are worth 2 to 4 each ; 

 Shanghai sheep, 1 to 2 ; goats, 10s. each ; ponies, 4 

 to 10. These last are imported from the Sulu Islands. 

 Water buffaloes are generally used as draught animals, 

 and are worth from 4 to 6 each. 



The whole island is tolerably flat, and at one time 

 was entirely covered with forests, yielding fine timber. 

 Of late years, however, jungle fires have been frequent 

 during the dry season ; and at the present time but little 

 old forest remains. The climate is now generally sup- 

 posed to be drier and more healthy than formerly ; but 

 the flora has suffered much, many orchids and other rare 

 plants, formerly found here in abundance, being now 

 quite extinct. After the rains a lovely little blue bur- 

 mannia (B. ccelestis), and a tiny sundew become very pretty 

 on the plains. Yellow flowered xyrids and eriocaulons 

 grace the wet ditches, and the orange orchards are 

 redolent with perfume, the trees being then in bloom, 

 and at night the gardens are illuminated with fire-flies. 



I resided for some time in a house which had been 

 occupied by Mr. Hugh Low, the garden and fruit orchard 

 of which afforded the most delightful walks morning and 

 evening. I never saw the elk's-horn fern (Platycerium 

 grande) so luxuriant anywhere as it was on the boles of 

 some large orange -trees here. The barren fronds were 

 broad, like the horns of the giant Irish elk; and the 

 more slender fertile ones drooped on all sides from the 



