600 Excursions to the Eastivard. [*J ULY > 



tards and fresh fruits ; neither coffee, tea, milk or butter seem to enter 

 into the common fare of these people. Butter they never make ; milk is 

 seldom used in its plain state ; and tea is a luxury confined to the chiefs 

 principally. They dress their food with hogs' lard. 



The chief positively refused to receive any present from me for his 

 attentions, but I sent some suitable ones to his father on a subsequent 

 occasion. 



Phoonga river. 



The east branch is said to be the largest, but the west branch is that 

 most frequented. I was prevented from surveying the former by our 

 accidentally missing our direction in returning, and pursuing the branch 

 by which we had ascended. The windings and creeks of these rivers 

 are so intricate that it requires a long acquaintance with them to render 

 them familiar. The sketches of the valley and the pyramids will shew 

 better than description can the nature of the country. Phoo?iga lies 

 in an oblong plain or valley formed by two ranges of rocky hills which 

 approach each other very closely at the north end, but less so on the 

 south. The outlet to the north is therefore very narrow, 



The river enters through this opening, and then winding prettily 

 down the valley at length enters a tangled forest of mangroves and 

 other trees, amongst which it finds its way to the sea. 



The influence of the tide extends higher than to Phoonga, but at 

 low water a ship's boat cannot well ascend beyond the place where we 

 landed close on the town. 



Its breadth, or rather the breadth of its bed opposite the town, varies 

 considerably but may be stated on an average at thirty yards. 



Its banks on the sides opposed to the force of the current, especially 

 on that towards the town, are steep, and in some places ten feet high, 

 but at and below the custom house they are low and covered at high 

 tide. 



The valley is about three miles in its extreme length, but the breadth 

 is not more than two miles at the widest part, and the average may 

 be given at three quarters of a mile. 



The soil is chiefly a clay mixed with a reddish earth, and seems fer- 

 tile. The greatest part of the valley is occupied by cottages with 

 gardens attached, the rest by rice fields and pasture ground for buffaloes 

 and a few oxen. 



Fruits are very plentiful, especially the dorian. They were in season 

 when we were there, and every house having a supply, the air was 

 most strongly perfumed. 



The scenery is peculiar and picturesque, and were the banks of the 



