VOYAGE FEOM INDIA TO SIAM AND MALLACCA. 99 



The birds and animals intoned their evening" song*, rendering" 

 our involuntary rest ag-reeable. 



22. — Early before daybreak the anchors were hoisted and 

 we continued our journey ; but the wind was weak and contrary 

 and we did not advance more than half a German mile outside 

 the mouth of the channel, so that at 9 o'clock in the morning- the 

 anchor was cast again. I was lucky enoug-h to persuade the 

 captain to let me g-o on shore. On account of the current I chose 

 a part on the island Lasmet* whither a boat took me. This small 

 journey, scarcely half a mile from the ship, took a considerable 

 time as the stream soon turned against us and brought us back 

 into the channel, so that we only arrived at 12 o'clock. 



The shore was rather high and covered with sand. Above 

 this sand was a layer of grey clay, which was very soft and 

 sticky ; the soil higher than the present level of the sea was very 

 uneven, full of holes and had been everywhere perforated by 

 the crabs There were many fallen trees near the sea, the stems 

 of some of them were incrusted with Anomia. 



The first plant I came across was a big Osmunda, which 

 might have been the variety regalis of Mr. Arch. v. Linne, but 

 its stipes had prickles at the base, the pinnae are broad at the edge 

 and creeping, much longer ; there were only a few leaves and 

 the whole plant was of a man's height ; the roots were thicker 

 than my hand and full of concentric spiral scars; the colour was 

 black, t I hardly saw any other trees than Wiizopliora^ There 

 were some climbing plants, which however had no leaves, because 

 the rainy season had just begun on this coast. I searched very 

 much for some kind of grass, but saw none ; some grasslike putrid 

 leaves were lying near the shore. I saw a great quantity of 

 those palmtrees with the leaves which resemble those of the 

 coco tree and was lucky in getting many of their blossoms. 

 (Then follows a long descrqnion of the Nipa j^alm ivhich it is tm- 

 necessary to insert.) 



The only big bird I had time to see was a Malabar bird, 

 besides some medium-sized Tringas and some sparrows ; I caught 

 some beautifully coloured crabs, one of their claws being very big. 



They gave us a signal from our ship, by firing off a cannon,' 

 and so I was obliged to stop further researches, and we had to 

 * Evidently Pulau Lumut. 

 t Probably Acrostichum aureuni. 



