VOYAGE FROM IXDIxV TO SIAM AXD MALACCA. 145 



bers. which could not easily be discovered here. 



Most of the temples had towers of the afore-described kind, 

 consistmg- of higdi pointed columns : there were others which had 

 scjuare columns for their towers, they were of equal thickness, 

 only little romided off at the top. and this kind formed the highest 

 towers. Out of some of these columns ti^ees had grown, and at 

 their side there were niches, in which a row of small columns had 

 been fixed. In one case there were figures of human beings in 

 all sorts of positions to be seen, but I did not find a single one 

 among these representing anything indecent, as is so often the 

 case on the Coromandel coast, specially in Tanschaur. The 

 posteriors and heads of all the bigg'er idols here were cut off. 

 Most of them were painted black, intermixed with some gold. 



The most remarkable botanical discoveries which I made in 

 these ruins, were Coiiza hcdsannfera trees, they were generally 

 growing at two men's height. Acroi^ticJium Siamense, Pferis Vitfata, 

 Asplenia )/i grew near the temple, which offered the most desolate 

 aspect. The pools of water were covered with Pistia. Limnan- 

 theniuin indicum, Xymphoea, nelumbtuni, Saf/ittaria, etc. The most 

 common trees were. Ficus reHr/iosa. growing almost everywhere 

 among the walls, together with JJi)/wsa higemima. There was a 

 little tree of Ficus religiosa growing' right at the head of a big- 

 idol. The double Verbesina and a kind of Impatiens grew also 

 frequently near the pools. 



I saw hardly any other birds besides the common Alcedo, 

 wild blue pigeons, water hens, many Malabar birds, ravens, and 

 martins. 



In a bush I saw an Indian hare, with his half-naked neck, 

 only covered with short soft black hair. The Scimi are much 

 rarer here than on the Coromandel coast, and the Palm s juirrel , 

 which is generally so common, I have not seen at all here. 



At dark I went back to my boat, well laden, and we returned 

 to our (quarters of the preceding night, the Chanterii. 



0. — Early this morning I went again to the place where I 

 had found so many beautiful flowers the day before, in order to 

 obtain the fruit of the Quisqua'is, if possible, and to search for 

 other seeds. There is an excellent view also from this place ; one 

 sees in the west the mountains of Popli, and in the north east 

 those near Banksay. Prom here I went across some swamps and 

 trenches to a place where near the ruins of a temple, some 



