x] SENNA 



The few seeds are surrounded by an acidulated pulp of extremely 

 pleasant flavour, which recalls that of the mangosteen. The fruit 

 of the Garcinia is, perhaps, the best of those of the wild species of 

 this genus (known in various parts of Malaysia by the name of 

 bua kandis) which are often pleasant enough in flavour, but always 

 too acid. In addition to the excellence of its fruit, Garcinia Beccarii 

 is also worthy of note for a species of gamboge which exudes from 

 the trunk. 



On the 23rd I went to Senna, an easy journey by river, the 

 stream flowing shallow and clear over a level bed of gravel. As 

 the water was so low we had to pole along, and I had a good oppor- 

 tunity of seeing how skilfully the Dyaks of this district, both men 

 and women, handle the " sway" 



Senna is one of the largest villages of the Land-Dyaks, and 

 numerous houses occupy both sides of the river, built on fine level 

 ground, shaded with splendid durians, rambutans, coconut and 

 areca palms, and other fruit-trees. 



In one of the larger rambutans, amidst its big branches, I 

 noticed a hut, in which were living, isolated from the rest of their 

 fellow creatures, a few miserable beings afflicted with a loathsome 

 disease, probably leprosy, which the Dyaks recognise to be con- 

 tagious. More than twenty years before, Low had observed the 

 same system of isolation at Senna, and it is not improbable that 

 the hut I saw was on the same tree. At Senna fruit-trees thrive 

 splendidly, and evidently the soil is most favourable to them. Some 

 were new to me, as the bua paya (Flacourtia acida), bua sintol 

 (Sandoricum Maingayi), and bua lagnier, better known to the Dyaks 

 under the name of bua mignarin. The tree of the latter is small ; I 

 could find none in blossom and cannot say to what genus, or even, 

 to what family it belongs. The fruit is yellowish green, perfectly 

 spherical and smooth, of the size of a small orange, but not of much 

 value for eating, the white pulp which envelops the seed being 

 very sweet but rather nauseous. It is, however, much used by 

 Malays as a sort of soap wherewith to wash their heads. 



The Senna Dyaks cultivate various tuberous plants, amongst 

 them a Tacca and a Dioscorea. To the latter genus — at least to 

 the best of my belief — belongs a plant known as gadong, of which 

 I was only shown the leaves. It was stated to produce tubers 

 of such enormous size that two men are required to carry one. 



The rice fields at this time of the year are overrun with 

 weeds, and the women were very busy rooting them up. It is 

 hardly necessary to say that they all belong to species of wide 

 distribution. Amongst the most abundant were some Cyper- 

 acece (Cyperus compressus, L. ; Mariscus umbellatus, Vahl., and 

 others). 



Next day I visited a thermal spring, which flows from the bank 



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