Page:"Round the world." - Letters from Japan, China, India, and Egypt (IA roundworldletter00fogg 0).pdf/158

 row strip of cloth about his loins, and dang ling around his neck a moval badge with the humber of his yehicle, (810) Tlaving se- tured his ‘fare” inside, he ruas alongside the pony, plying hia lash snd cereaming, until the animal is excited jnto a sharp trot. Then he jumps on to the rhafia behind him,

We set off at a rattling pace through the European quarter, past two pretty churches and maay foreizu residences gur- rounded by fine gardens, thence through the outukirte of the city thickly populated by natives, and soou reach an svenue lined with palm trees, where we mest tha market people loaded with vegetables ard frmt. They are moatly Chinese, and baskets which thay carry on their heads or swang on barw- boo poler, are filled with curious fruite, msny of which we heve never tested nor even beard the names. A half hour ride ovar this smooth road, psst laces eheded with cocopunt trees and Lived with hedges of light green bamboo, leading to thse buvg- slows of Huropcans which we gee on every elevation, and we reach tha entrance to a park of savers] hundred acres, }sid cuiwith Windieg carziege roads snd emocth grayeled walka in ths higaest atyle of Buglich land- scape gardening. Ciumps ef tropical trees and shrubs, and parterres of gorgeous fl >w- era are everywhere around us, The rarz flowering plants which I had cals sen in greon-honecs, are hare growing to immense aizein the open air. Over our hess are etetely pslme, wild almouds, and tuil feath- ery bamboos.

But the most curious tree which I have never ceased to admire, is the fan-palm, each lesfsix or eight fect long end radia- ting from the stem like the sticks of 3 fan. Imagine a fan fora giant, the landle ten feet long and six foches thick, the fan itself fitieen fect in diameter. Ia a email pond an immense victoria regiag, with leaves two fzet serces which will bear the weight ofa child. Mingied with the grass beside the path are large masses of the sensitive plant. Orechs¥ds in endless variety are bsng- ing in rostic baskets under tha trees, Wild heliotrepe, masazs of English roses and rost beantiful ferns aro arranged 80 a8 to give au artistic effect to the acenc, Every plant and flower which I recognize seems magnified in afz2 and tnleusified in color under this tropical sun. Huin rarely falls at this sexton, but the grasa smoothly shorn, sparkles with dew drops in the early morning sun.