48 AN ACCOUNT OF. A BOTANICAL EXPEDITION 



The course of the steamer goes across West half way to 

 the Lankawi islands, and then turning abruptly North to the 

 mouth of the Setul river. After steaming up the river for 

 some time we arrived at the landing place two miles from 

 Setul town at one o'clock. We had telegraphed for gharries to 

 meet us and for the resthouse to be prepared, but found 

 that as it was the day of the Malay feast Mandai Saphir, 

 the officials were away commemorating the occasion and the 

 telegram had been .received by no one. Though Setul is a 

 Siamese country I found that most of the officials were 

 really Malays, though with Siamese names, and the greater 

 part of the population consisted of Malays and Chinese, the 

 Siamese being few in number- It did not take long to tele- 

 phone for gharries, and we soon arrived at the rest house, 

 where the old caretaker quickly unearthed the cook, and got 

 what furniture I required from a house a mile away, where it 

 had been stored. The rest house is a good building and has 

 even a billiard room annexe, patronized chiefly by the Siamese 

 officials. In the afternoon I strolled round the vicinity, which 

 is very sandy, and noted And rogr aphis paniculata with its 

 pretty white flowers as a garden weed, and many grasses, 

 including Aristida Ascensionis its most southern point here 

 I believe. The trees were chiefly Cashew-nuts on which 

 grew Platycerium Wallichii, coconuts, Erioglossum edule the 

 Mertajam, now in fruit to the joy of the village children, who 

 revel in its small astringent and sweet purple fruits. 



The chestnut swallow Hirnndo badia was dashing about 

 the house in company with other swallows. Its presence 

 being accounted for by the great limestone block, Batu 

 Berjongkong, not far off the village. It rained furiously from 

 about five p.m. till dark. 



11th, we started out early along a wide and promising 

 looking road towards the northeast, but it suddenly ended 

 at the river and a dense ■ forest of tidal plants, Carapa, Avi- 

 cennia, Phoenix, etc. Unable to get further in that direction we 

 returned and walked to Batu Berjongkong. All the water 

 in the district seems to collect round these limestone blocks 



Jour. Straits Branch 



