The Great Palm Called "Gubbong" By The Natives, A
Species Of Corypha, Is The Most Striking Feature Of The Plains,
Where It Grows By Thousands And Appears In Three Different
States - In Leaf, In Flower And Fruit, Or Dead.
It has a lofty
cylindrical stem about a hundred feet high and two to three feet
in diameter; the
Leaves are large and fan-shaped, and fall off
when the tree flowers, which it does only once in its life in a
huge terminal spike, upon which are produced masses of a smooth
round fruit of a green colour rind about an inch in diameter.
When those ripen and fall the tree dies, and remains standing a
year or two before it falls. Trees in leaf only are by far the
most numerous, then those in flower and fruit, while dead trees
are scattered here and there among them. The trees in fruit are
the resort of the great green fruit pigeons, which have been
already mentioned. Troops of monkeys (Macacus cynoraolgus) may
often be seen occupying a tree, showering down the fruit in great
profusion, chattering when disturbed and making an enormous
rustling as they scamper off among the dead palm leaves; while
the pigeons have a loud booming voice more like the roar of a
wild beast than the note of a bird.
My collecting operations here were carried on under more than
usual difficulties. One small room had to serve for eating,
sleeping and working,and one for storehouse and dissecting-room;
in it were no shelves, cupboards, chairs or tables; ants swarmed in
every part of it, and dogs, cats and fowls entered it at pleasure.
Besides this it was the parlour and reception-room of my host, and
I was obliged to consult his convenience and that of the numerous
guests who visited us.
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