232 The Gardens of the Sun. [ch. xir. 



plenty. Then we rode up a narrow path fringed with 

 tall overhanging jungle on either side, leaving only bare 

 space for our ponies to pass in Indian file. Then came 

 a rounded hill-side, and numerous cultivated patches — 

 little farms with palm-thatched houses sheltered in groves 

 of durian, cocoa-nut, mango, and other fruit trees. Here 

 coffee and cocoa-trees were noticed in vigorous health 

 and fruitfuhiess ; and along the edges of the arable 

 patches a very pretty species of curcuma was blooming 

 freely among the grass and verdure. The leaves had a 

 purple stain along the mid-rib. The flowers were white, 

 with a blotch of lemon-yellow on the lip, the inflores- 

 cence being white, suffused with bright amethyst, purple 

 at its apex. We noticed tame paroquets hanging outside 

 several of the dwellings we passed on our way. 



At one point near the foot of the mountain, we came 

 upon a party of thirty or forty men accompanied by 

 dogs, and armed with long spears ; they were going to 

 hunt some wild pigs which had done damage to a plan- 

 tation of sweet potatoes and yams the night previous. 

 Our way now lay up the clearings on the mountain side. 

 I dismounted and led my pony ; and on my shooting 

 at a pigeon, it became restive, and broke away. It 

 was luckily met and caught by a Sulu man who had 

 followed us, in the hope of earning a little tobacco. 

 Arriving at last at the mountain village, we entered our 

 guide's house, after having tethered our horses and given 

 them some cut grass on which to feed. The sun was 

 now very hot, and we were glad to rest ; we were hungry, 

 too, and thoroughly enjoyed some fish and rice, which, 

 together with some chocolate, was soon set before us by 

 these hospitable people. Pigeons, paroquets, and large 

 hombiUs, were here plentiful, and came to feed on some 

 large trees which were in fruit near the village. 



