re. Abdallah peeled
them in such a way as to remove the bur entire, and brought them
to our grassy "board" on pure white porcelain plates garnished with
wreaths of fragrant flowers. Never were the gods feasted on nectar
and ambrosia more divinely luscious than the white pines and golden
mangoes, the rich juicy grapes and sparkling sherbet, with which
we were regaled on that bright summer eve at the base of the old
flagstaff towering above our heads.

We had not much time for roaming, but gathered whole handfuls of the
lotus or water-lily, with its pale-blue, golden or rose-tinted blooms
gleaming up from the sparkling waters like the fabled charms of
mermaid or sea-nymph. There are many varieties of this exquisite
flower--blue, pink, carnation, bright yellow, royal purple fringed
with gold, and, more beautiful than all, pure, virgin white, with
the faintest possible rose tinge in the centre of each section of the
corolla, a just perceptible blush, as of its own conscious loveliness.
This last variety is the royal flower of Siam: it is borne before
the king at weddings, funerals and all state festivals, and the royal
reception-rooms are always beautifully decorated with the young buds
arranged in costly vases of exquisite workmanship. The costly silk and
lace canopies over the cradles of the infants of the king's family
are also made in the form of a lotus reversed; and it is said that in
cases of fever or eruptive diseases the leaves of the fresh lotus are
spread over the royal couches, as being not only sanitary, but more
agreeable to the invalid than the ordinary linen or silk bedding.
Guided by the rare rich perfume of its waxen buds, we found a choice
specimen of the bride-like moon-creeper, and bore if off, vine, blooms
and all, to a place among the floral adornments of our own home.

We reached home at eight o'clock, after a cruise, by sea and by land,
of thirteen hours; but the day had been so replete with enjoyment that
we scarcely felt conscious of fatigue, and were off again the next
morning, soon after sun-rise, for a ride to Bookit Tima ("hill of
tin"), the central and loftiest peak of Singapore Island. It is nine
miles from the city, with a smooth road to the very summit, so that
we might go either in pony palanquins or on horseback. We chose the
latter, as affording us better opportunity for observation and
the collection of "specimens," and, as we could readily gain the
mountain-top in season for a nine