BY W. KING, ESQ. 



87 



that is, they are from to 2 feet in diameter, and 40 feet 

 high. They are seldom straight-grown trees, however, be- 

 ing much twisted and gnarled ; and they are horribly muti- 

 lated by a most relentless creeper (Bauhinia), which is the 

 bane of the more elevated tracts of forest. 



The Bauhinia is a very pleasing adjunct to the scenery in 

 some respects, with its long and festooning snake-like trunks 

 and beautiful, large, bilobate leaves. The old stems ramify 

 about, very much in the way a number of the new " Pha- 

 raoh's Serpents" might do, if they were started from one point. 

 They are seen stretching through the forest along the ground, 

 or up to the highest twig of a tree, or right across the 

 fork of two great branches, or coiled up the trunks, or loop- 

 ing in festoons from tree to tree, and covering every thing 

 with a most luxuriant foliage ; until trees die, are split up 

 or are finally dragged down by the superincumbent weight 

 of this gigantic parasite. It is really a cruel picture, that of 

 these grand trees, utterly ruined, and rearing their dead 

 or leafless branches out of the midst of the rich foliage of 

 the creeper. The young shoots have a most eager tendency 

 to lay hold of any unfortunate tree, stretching themselves up 

 for 20 and 30 feet at a time ; and when a tendril has once 

 wrapped itself round a twig or leaf, it requires some force to 

 unwind it. 



The leaves of this creeper are largely gathered in the 

 forest, and sent into the low-country to be used for leaf- 

 plates, for which they are much prized; and the bean, 

 enclosed in a large pod of very hard material, is used as 

 food by the Chensulahs. On one occasion, we met the native 

 contractor with his party of coolies coming up from the 

 low-country to gather the leaves, and at another time, I 

 met some Chensulah women gathering the fruit. 



Having wandered about 4 or 5 miles east of the bungalow 



