THE VEGETABLE KINGDOM. 451 



of the immortal goddess. In the Hindoo temples it also 

 serves as a seat for Bramah, who is represented sitting and 

 holding in his hands the sacred Yedas. 



Yet the brilliant rose and white flower of the Victoria 

 regia, which ornaments the waves of the Amazon, attains 

 still more remarkable proportions than the foregoing, being 

 sometimes a yard in circumference. 



But the flower of the Rafflesia Arnoldi, a perfect monster 

 of vegetation, leaves all these far behind ! It is found in 

 the forests of Java and Sumatra. Its outlines and gigantic 

 proportions separate it so widely from everything known, 

 that, in spite of the assertions of travellers, botanists refused 

 to believe, and persisted in looking upon the colossus as a 

 fetid Fungus. The discussion did not cease till one of these 

 flowers was sent to London, and examined by R. Brown, 

 who dissipated all doubts. Each flower was found to be 

 composed of a fleshy mass weighing from twelve to fifteen 

 pounds. Its border, the circuit of which was not less than 

 ten feet, showed five lobes, forming a gaping excavation 

 capable of holding a dozen pints of fluid. 



This strange and eccentric flower, which botanists still 

 regard as one of the marvels of the vegetable world, looks 

 at first sight like one of the huge Fungi commonly called 

 puff-balls, and it is only when it has displayed its thick and 

 flesh-colored petals that its true nature is revealed. It ex- 

 hales a repulsive carrion-like smell. 



The naturalist stands stupefied at such an exuberant pro- 

 duction, but the Javanese prostrates himself before it; he 

 almost makes a divinity of it, and clothes it with supernat- 

 ural power. Yet its bulk, weight, and fetor will ever pre- 



