400 DESCRIPTION OF BATAVIA CHAP. XVII 
in our English gardens, but like all the rest most elegant in 
their fragrance. (6) Sundal malam (Polianthes tuberosa), 
our English tuberose; this flower is considerably smaller, 
as well as more mildly fragrant than ours in Europe. The 
Malay name signifies “intriguer of the night,” from a 
rather pretty idea. The heat of the climate here allows few 
or no flowers to smell in the day; and this especially from 
its want of smell and modest white array, seems not at all 
desirous of admirers; but when night comes its fragrance is 
diffused around and attracts the attention as well as gains 
the admiration of every passer-by. (7) Bonga tanjong 
(Mimusops eleng?) is shaped exactly like a star of seven or 
eight rays, about half an inch in diameter; it is of a yellowish 
colour, and like its fellows has a modest agreeable smell; but 
it is chiefly used to make a contrast with the mulatti in 
the wreaths which the ladies here wear in their hair, and 
this it does very prettily. 
Besides these there are in private gardens many other 
sweet flowers, which are not in sufficient plenty to be 
brought to market, as Cape jasmine, several sorts of Arabian 
jasmine, though none so sweet as the common, etc. etc. 
They also make a mixture of several of these flowers and 
leaves of a plant called pandang (Pandanus), chopped 
small, with which they fill their hair and clothes, etc. 
But their great luxury is in strewing their beds full of this 
mixture and flowers; so that you sleep in the midst of 
perfumes, a luxury scarcely to be expressed or even con- 
ceived in Europe. 
Before I leave the productions of this country I cannot 
help saying a word or two about spices, though in reality 
none but pepper is a native of the island of Java, and but 
little even of that. Of pepper, however, I may say that, 
large as the quantities of it are that are annually imported 
into Europe, little or none is used in this part of the Indies. 
Capsicum or cayenne pepper, as it is called in Europe, has 
almost totally supplied its place. As for cloves and nutmegs, 
the monopoly of the Dutch has made them too dear to be 
plentifully used by the Malays, who are otherwise very fond 
