THE TROPICAL ZONE. 203 



there is well supplied from the interior with fruit and vege- 

 tables, such as small Apricots, Lemons, Oranges, Pomegra- 

 nates, Bananas and Dates, Water-melons, Pumpkins, Cu- 

 cumbers, Sweet Potatoes, and Onions/'* 



As we travel further eastward, and pass through India 

 and China, both of them so densely populated and so long 

 cultivated, we must necessarily conclude, as we did with 

 regard to the West Indies, that the original appearance of 

 large portions of these countries has almost disappeared. 

 One of the most remarkable features, both in India and 

 China, seems to be the beautiful contrast formed in the 

 landscape between the dark woods of the Chinese Pine 

 (Pinus Sinensis) and " the airy groves of the Bamboo, which 

 cover extensive tracts of country ;" and in India, inter- 

 mingled with these Pine-woods, grow Cypresses (Cupressi) 

 and Casuarina, before described as being like a tree Equi- 



There are forests of a very peculiar character in India, 

 which grow a little way up the mountains, composed of 

 Pig-trees (the Pig, it may just be mentioned, for the sake of 



* Particulars of the botany of Arabia may be found in a work by Bove, 

 called ' Relation abrege d'un Voyage Botanique eii Egypte, dans les trois 

 Arabics, en Palestine et en Syrie. 5 



