He also told us
that we should be sure to find a second not far off, as serpents of
this kind always go in pairs, and, true enough, the gentlemen in the
other boat had already shot the second, which was also coiled up on
the branch of a large tree.
These serpents were of a dark green colour, with beautiful yellow
streaks, and about twelve feet in length. I was told that they
belonged to the boa species.
After having proceeded eight English miles in four hours, we left
the boats, and following a narrow footpath, soon reached a number of
plots of ground, cleared from trees, and planted with pepper and
gambir.
The pepper-tree is a tall bush-like plant, that, when trained and
supported with props, will attain a height varying from fifteen to
eighteen feet. The pepper grows in small, grape-like bunches, which
are first red, then green, and lastly, nearly black. The plant
begins to bear in the second year.
White pepper is not a natural production, but is obtained by dipping
the black pepper several times in sea-water: this causes it to lose
its colour, and become a dirty white.
