202 CONFESSIONS OF A BEACHCOMBER 



the cheerful presence of bees and butterflies. The 

 looking-glass tree {Heritiera littoralis), with its large, 

 oval, glossy, silver-backed leaves and boat-shaped fruit, 

 stands with the river mangrove along the margin farthest 

 from the sea, not as a rearguard, but to perform the 

 function of making the locality the more acceptable to 

 the presence of plants which luxuriate in sweetness and 

 solid earth. Another denizen of the partially reclaimed 

 area of the mangrove swamp is the " milky mangrove," or 

 river poison tree, alias "blind -your -eyes" {Exccecaria 

 agallochd). In India the sap of this tree is called tiger's 

 milk. It issues from the slightest incision of the bark, and 

 is so volatile that no one, however careful, can obtain even 

 a small quantity without being affected by it. There is an 

 acrid, burning sensation in the throat, inflamed eyes and 

 headache, while a single drop falling into the eyes will, it 

 is believed, cause loss of sight. Yet a good caoutchouc 

 may be prepared from it, and it is applied with good 

 effect to ulcerate sores, and by the blacks of Queensland 

 and New South Wales for the relief of certain ulcerous and 

 chronic diseases ; while in Fiji the patient is fumigated 

 with the smoke of the burning wood. Several of the 

 plants produce more or less valuable woods. Bruguiera 

 Rheedi frequently grows slender shafts, favoured by blacks 

 for harpoon handles on account of their weight and tough- 

 ness. White mangrove provides a light, white tough wood 

 eminently adapted for the knees of boats. The seeds 

 resemble broad beans, and after long immersion in the sea 

 will germinate lying naked and uncovered on the scorching 

 sand, stretching out rootlets in every direction in search of 

 suitable food, and expanding their leathery primary leaves — 

 even growing to the extent of several inches — while yet 

 owing no attachment to the soil. If it were not capable 

 of surviving and flourishing under conditions fatal to most 

 plants it could not contribute its quota to the formation of 

 humus favourable to the progress of the advancing hosts of 

 tropical vegetation. 



A weird and stealthy process is this invasion of the 



