112. 
BACHAPIN HIGHROAD. — RIVER MAKKWARIN. 
307 
enough only for a single person, and running either parallel to each 
other, or crossing very obliquely. I counted from twelve to about 
eighteen or twenty of these paths, within the breadth of a few yards. 
They are nothing more than what may be supposed to be the beaten 
track of several men walking in company, each picking his own way 
wherever the ground may be most free from obstructions. 
In a part of this plain, where grew many large bushes of 
tarchonanthus from six to ten feet high, we passed a fountain of clear 
water, in which stood a few reeds. This fountain or spring, though 
not copious enough to produce a stream, formed a small pond which 
had the appearance of being constantly supplied with water. A little 
farther, a number of small olive-trees, of the height only of eight feet, 
were observed ; these had exactly the foliage of the European olive. 
After a pleasant day's journey of nearly twenty miles, we arrived 
in the evening at the river Makkwdrin (or Makklwdrin), where we 
intended to remain several days, to put the waggons and all our 
baggage in order, and to make various preparations and finish all 
necessary work, previously to our arrival at the town of Litakun. 
I would here take the opportunity of making some remarks on 
the name of this town. It may be written in various forms according as 
the Dutch, German, or English, orthography is followed. The first 
would give Litdakoen ; the second, Litdkun ; the third, Letdrkoon ; the 
French, Litdkoun ; and the Italian, the same as the German. Con- 
formably to the system of orthography cursorily explained at page 296. 
I have spelt it Litdkun or Litaakun. The Bachapins (Bachapeens) 
are never heard to place the accent on any other syllable than that 
which is here marked, although the forms under which it has already 
appeared before the public, would seem to indicate a very different 
pronunciation. It is sometimes, though very seldom, heard spoken 
as Tdkun, by dropping the first syllable, without changing the accent ; 
but this i^ probably a careless mode of speaking. The word Tdkoon, 
is almost as frequently made use of by the natives as Litdkun ; and 
here the accent is shifted to the last syllable, which becomes length- 
ened, and is pronounced, as in English, Tdkone ; in Dutch, Takoon ; 
or in French, Takaune. To account for this variation, it must be 
R R 2 
