CHAP, xvn.] 



AN EARTHQUAKE. 



249 



Vielow, producing abundance of delicious fruit; but the 

 shaddock or puniplpmous {Citrus deciimana) requires tUe 

 full force of a tropical sun, for it will not thrive even at 

 Tondauo a thousaud feot lower. On the hill}^ slopes 

 rice is cultivated largely, and ripens well, although the 

 temperature rarely or never rises ^o 80^ so that one 

 would think it might be grown even iu England in fine 

 summers, especially if the ymixg plants were raised under 

 glass. 



The mountains have an unusual quantity of earth or 

 vegetable mould spread over theuL Even on the steepeat 

 slopes there is everywhere a covering of clays and sands, 

 and generally a good thickness of vegetable soil. It is 

 this which perbapa contributes to tlie uniform luxuriance 

 of the forest, and delays the appearance of that sub-alpine 

 vegetation which depends almost a3 much on the abun- 

 dance of rocky and exposed surfaces as on difference of 

 climate. At a much lower elevation on Jilount Ophir in 

 Malacca, Dacrydiums and Rhododendrons with abundance 

 of Kepenthos, fiirns, and terrestrial orchids suddenly took 

 the place of the lofty forest ; but this was plainly due to 

 the occurrence of an extensive slope of bare granitic rock 

 at an elevation of less than 3,000 feet. The quantity of 

 vegetable soil, and also of loose .sands and clays, resting 

 on steep slopes, hill-tops and the sides of ravines, is a 

 curious and important phenomenon. It may be due in 

 part to constant slight earthquake shocks, facilitating the 

 disintegration of rock ; but would also seem to indicate 

 that the conntry \\m been long exposed to gentle atmo- 

 sjjheric action, and that its elevation has been exceedingly 

 slow and continuous. 



During my stay at Runikan my curiosity was satisfied 

 by experiencing a pretty sharp earthquake-shock. On the 

 evening of June 29th, at a quarter after eight, as T was 

 sitting reading, the house began shaking with a very gentle, 

 but rapidly increasing motion. I sat still enjoying the 

 novel sensation for some seconds ; htit in less than half a 

 minute it became strong enough to shake me in my chair, 

 and to make the house visibly rock about, and creak an t 

 crack as if it would fall to pieces. Then began a crv 

 throughout the village of "Tana goyang! tana goyang!" 



