240 A NATURALISTS WANDERINGS 



on finding a broad, deep river, with a fleet of Palembang praus 

 at anchor, and of rakits loaded, or lying to be filled up with 

 gutta-percha, rattan, and buifaloes for the Palembang market. 



From Muara-Kupit I proceeded to Surulangun, along a good 

 road following the Rawas river, under a continuous shade of tall 

 Durian trees from thirty-five to forty feet high — a growth of ten 

 years. The road was carpeted throughout its length with their 

 flowers, which were dropping off in vast numbers. In the flower- 

 ing time it was a most pleasant shady road ; but later in the 

 season the chance of a fruit now and then descending on one's 

 head would be less agreeable.* At every village I passed, I was 

 respectfully received by the chiefs ; and at several places they 

 were accompanied by the youths and maidens, who were 

 formed to right and left of the way attended by a band, while 

 a table loaded with fruits, sweetmeats and coffee, barred the 

 road, of which in order to gratify them I had to dismount and 

 partake. This band played me to the boundaries of the 

 next village, where another was waiting to convoy us through 

 their region. 



At Surulangun, the residence of Mr. Kamp the genial Magis- 

 trate of the district, enjoying his bountiful hospitality, and the 

 companionship of the commandant of a small garrison quartered 

 there for the protection of the district against the Djambi 

 people, several most pleasant days were passed. These hostile 

 neighbours make not infrequent raids on the villages to carry 

 off" their herds, covering their departure by maliciously plant- 

 ing the roads with short sharp bamboo spikes, invisible till 

 wounds are received. 



Here I had the satisfaction of again examining, through Mr. 

 Kamp's kind aid, a considerable assemblage of Kubus of both 

 sexes. Several of them it would have been impossible to tell 

 from the people of the surrounding villages from their features ; 

 on the other hand, there were peculiarities scarcely reducible 

 to words, by which they could have been picked out among 

 a crowd of Malays. I tried to formulate the differences, but 

 found myself almost unable to say exactly wherein they con- 

 sisted. The high (between the eyes) straight dorsum of the 



* Of this fruit ihe natives are passionately fond ; and Mr. WallRce writes 

 it is worth a voyage to the East to taste ; and the elephants flock to its shade 

 in the fniiting lime ; but, more singular still, the tiger is said to devour it 

 with aviditv. 



