12 
MALACCA. 
were either being worked with too few coolies, insufficient to cope with the rapidly growing 
jungle, which in the East quickly takes possession of neglected clearings, or entirely 
neglected. These plantations form splendid haunts for pigs, and become soon so thick and 
entangled that it is almost impossible to move about. Tapioca is the produce of a large 
tuber, which grows some few inches under the soil, from a slender knotted plant about five 
feet high, the foliage consisting of a few straggling five-parted leaves. The entire cultiva¬ 
tion of tapioca was in the hands of the Chinese. The felling and burning of a huge forest 
looks a herculean task; when this has been accomplished, the plants have to be carefully 
hoed and kept clean, or else the ever encroaching “ lalang grass ” would soon smother 
them ; they, however, grow very fast, attaining maturity in about six months. 
My stay at Pulo Sebang was short, as birds were scarce; but amongst those obtained 
w r ere several interesting species. A very large Swift (Hirundinapus giganteus) was especially 
remarkable, having all the tail-quills partly denuded of web and as sharp as needles. This 
fine bird, though common, is difficult to obtain, as most of the day it flies high out of the 
reach of powder and shot; but towards evening a shot may be obtained as it dashes by to 
drink in some open pond or tank. I was also pleased to see some Hornbills flying about, 
and was first attracted by the loud noise they made with their wings, though at the time 
they w T ere some distance off. Here also I met with perhaps that most loathsome pest the 
jungle leech. These disgusting creatures take up their position in the jungle-paths, ready 
to fasten on to the first passer by: when it happened to he myself, they bored through 
my thin clothes, either fixing on to my legs or working up to my stomach—there becoming 
surfeited they dropped off; it is only then that one feels the least pain. Soon your clothes 
become saturated with blood trickling from an almost imperceptible wound. The bite of 
these leeches is slightly poisonous, and causes irritation for weeks afterwards, and if you 
are not in good health develops into nasty sores. There are two species—a dirty brown 
terrestrial leech and an arboreal one, striped with green and yellow : the latter species fastens 
on to any part of your body as you brush by the branches that overhang the paths. When I 
tell you that some paths simply swarm with leeches, and that I have picked from thirty to 
forty off my boots (doing their best to get up my legs) during a short walk, you can form 
some idea what a source of annoyance they must be. It is only by wearing thin loose 
canvas stockings tied over your trousers below the knee that you stand a chance of being 
free from their bloodthirsty attacks. The ground leeches are about two inches long and 
rear straight on end, turning their pin-pointed heads quickly in all directions when they 
feel the thud of a footstep on the path. Whenever I offered them a stick that I had 
previously touched with my hand they fastened to it in a moment, though refusing to notice 
the untouched end. 
One day during my rambles I heard the plaintive howls of some animal, which, when 
I approached, proved to be a wretched dog, which had been tied up close to a piece of 
bamboo, and the bamboo to a large creeper. The poor animal was half-starved and nearly mad 
for want of water, and, judging by the state of the ground, had been there some days. This 
was the kindly‘act of some Malay or Chinaman. I noticed in Malacca several dogs running 
about with short bamboos fastened to their necks, so perhaps they had narrowly escaped a 
slow death by starvation. Unowned, half-wild dogs are so numerous round the outskirts 
