134 The Gardens of the Sun. [ch. vi. 



palms the 'Nebong' (Oncospcrma filamentosum) and the 

 unique red-stemmed ' Malawarin ' (which long defied 

 Eastern collectors who wished to introduce it to Europe) 

 were most beautiful. The former produces an excellent 

 ' cabbage,' as good as seakale when well cooked, and its 

 old stems are generally employed as piles by the Malays, 

 who almost always erect ther palm-thatched ' atap ' 

 houses over the water of river or sea. 



"Bird-life generally was dozing the birds were enjoying 

 their noontide siesta in the shady trees. The handsome 

 Bornean pheasants, the ' Argus,' the ' Fireback,' and 

 the ' Bulwer ' with its pure snowy tail of blackcock-like 

 shape, were alike unseen and unheard. Now and then 

 the deep rich and mellow whistle of the ' Mino ' bird or 

 Javanese ' Grackle ' reached us, and a whole colony of 

 large blue, and of pretty little greyish green, yellow- 

 winged pigeons Carpophagi were surprised on a fig 

 tree in fruit as the canoe shot around a sudden bend in 

 the stream. Of the seven or eight species of hornbills 

 known to inhabit these groves we saw not one indeed 

 our view of the birds would have been but meagre but 

 for the apparition of a black darter with only its head or 

 neck above the water, in which attitude its resemblance 

 to a snake is well nigh perfect. A few kingfishers braved 

 the sun and flitted alongside the nipa leaves, or flew 

 rapidly across stream like clusters of jewels endowed with 

 life and motion. Scarcely a sound disturbed the quietude 

 and beauty of such a tropical scene, except that now and 

 then for no very apparent reason the boatmen made a 

 spurt with their paddles, any little extra exertion in this 

 way being often accompanied by a plaintive song in 

 chorus melody in perfect keeping with a wildly natural 

 albeit lovely spot. At one well-remembered bend of the 

 glassy stream the men had been directed to stop awhile, 



