Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 2 (Stockdale).djvu/382

320 a considerable time, especially in the afternoon, abundant falls of rain, which cooled the atmosphere to such a degree, that the thermometer did not stand higher than 22° or 23°, in the hottest part of the day.

As soon as my health was a little re-established, I made frequent excursions in the environs of the town, and as far into the country as my strength permitted me. I had the pleasure of seeing my collections of natural history encrease with a great number of specimens which I had never before met with.

Most of the roads to a considerable distance from Sourabaya are shaded by hedges of bamboo. Others were inclosed between long avenues of mimusops elengi, guillandina moringa, nauclea orientalis, hybiscus tiliaceus, &c. the shade of which produces a very salutary effect in this fervid climate. I was much surprised to see the last mentioned tree send out branches from the whole length of its trunk, as far down as the root; differing in this respect from all of the same species, that I had seen in other places, but I soon observed some of the Javanese employed in making incisions very close to each other in the bark of the trees with a large knife, and was informed that this operation has been practised here from time immemorial for the purpose of causing young