VOYAGE FROM INDIA TO SI AM AND MALACCA. 123 



we were at the time, and what kmcl of soil the land consisted of. 

 At the western side floated much seed of the Bhizophora, my new 

 palm, and also still of another kind of palm which I do not yet 

 know specially often completely g-erminated seed of the Bontia 

 germinans, while near the eastern side there was nothing- else to 

 be seen but only eea weeds. I had at last the g'ood 'luck to-day to 

 catch a sea-snake. It did not seem any other kind than the 

 Anguis Platura, but it had the peculiarity that the scales were 

 six to seven cornered and had a raised point in the middle, which 

 near the belly were so big- as to form real prickles. Another of 

 the same kind of snakes floated past the ship ; it was asleep and 

 I could again observe that it lay on its back, with strong-ly puffed 

 up stomach ; that the head did not stand out above the surface of 

 the water more than the stomach, and that it was so closely 

 twined tog-ether that it occupied only a small space. 



To-da}^ they caug-ht ag-ain an Echineis Naucrates with the 

 angle. It was little more than two feet long-, its colour was ash}^- 

 g-rey and the white line near the stomach was very inconspicuous 

 It had this peculiarity, that the projecting- point of the mouth was 

 flat underneath and fine sharp points, like a fine shagreen. 

 The pectoral fins had twenty rays ; the ventral fins stood closely 

 tog-ether at the base, and had five rays. The dorsal fins had 

 thirty-six rays ; the hindmost fins had thirty -five rays. The tail 

 was less forked than that of the others and had twenty-five rays 

 The g-ill-cover had six rays. The shield over the head, which 

 the animal uses for the purpose of sucking-, had only twenty-three 

 scales which were indented at the edges. In the middle of these 

 scales was a bone running lengthwise, and they were fastened 

 to this bone at their inner side. This bone serves to g'ive them 

 more strength. 



30. — Last night and to-day, though the wind was contrary 

 it was so weak, that we advanced much. We passed one arm of 

 the stream, which we were to sail up in order to come to the 

 capital of Siam, called Bangkok, and we deemed ourselves at tw o 

 miles distance from this town. The coast was very low here ; 

 though we were hardly three quarters of a mile from it, we could 

 only distinguish very little of the trees, which seemed also to 

 grow here on the western shore as in many places of the Malay 

 coast. 



The sea- water was very turbid here, and a rust-coloured 



