150 VOYAGE FROM INDIA TO SIAM AND MALACCA. 



whole animal is about twenty inches in length and one inch in width. 

 20. — I went again to a temple, which of all the temples I 

 have seen here in Bangkok is the most magnificent. The portico 

 and whole facade were gilt and ornamented with rich carvings, 

 intersected with green and whte mirrors. The columns, being 

 covered with so-called leaves against the evil spirit, were all 

 still well gilt; and behind the temple, in a niche, a gilt idol 

 life-size had been placed. There was a brook close by this tem- 

 ple, and near it were many Chinese tombs, built in the shape of 

 houses, but being only two feet high and proportionately long 

 and broad. In the front part there is a wooden board instead of 

 a door, whereon are painted Chinese letters, partly red and partly 

 black. Near some of these graves feasts had been held lately, 

 and some vessels still stood before these painted boards, leaning 

 against the front part. On these graves grew a kind of Justicia, 

 the blossoms of which were borne at the extremity of the bran- 

 ches, at the angle where they joined the principal stem. They 

 had extiaordinarily wide pointed bracts. Amongst the Justicia 

 grew very high trees with oval leaves, which at the lower part 

 of the stem produced much resin ; their bark resembled that of 

 the tig trees. Behind this temple a large expanse of forest had 

 been cut down ; as soon as the weather becomes dryer and the cut- 

 down trees themselves have dried a little more, they are to be 

 burnt, lledysaruin Strobiliforme was here in full blossom, but had 

 little fruit; at the same time I also obtained Pcederia foetida 

 with ripe fruits. There was a large seminary for Talapoins here. 

 In the afternoon I went with my boat up-stream to a temple 

 situated two and half miles fiom my quarters, in order to collect 

 some of the seed of a Phaseolus, which seemed unknown to me; 

 and I was successful. I penetrated a little into the wood, and 

 came to a place which was dried by the heat Here I found 

 many specimens of a plant, the leaves of which resembled those 

 of a Musa, only they were much smaller. The stems of some of 

 them were more than two men's height, and not much thicker 

 than one and half inch in diameter near the club-shaped root; 

 there were neither blossoms nor fruit. I dug up some of the 

 roots, which smelled like civet, and tasted aromatically. It 

 seems to me to be identical with the Lampujum majus of 

 Rumph in his 5th vol., tab. 64. fig. 1.* In the evening, at 



* Zingihere. 



