ath, yet he
recovered in a very short time."

Both the natives of the Malayan Archipelago and strangers residing there
regard the durion as superior to all other kinds of fruit--in short, the
finest in the world. The old traveller, Luischott, writing of it as
early as 1599, says that in flavour it surpasses all other fruits.
While another old traveller, Doctor Paludanus, thus speaks of it: "This
fruit is of a hot and humid nature. To those not used to it, it seems
at first to smell like rotten onions, but immediately they have tasted
it they prefer it to all other food. The natives give it honourable
titles, exalt it, and make verses on it." [Note 1.]

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Note 1. To these particulars we may add that the durion (_Durio
zibethinus_) belongs to the natural family of _Sterculiaceae_, of the
same sub-order (_Bombaceae_) as the silk-cotton tree. It grows to a
great stature; its leaves are like those of the cherry, and its pale
yellow flowers hang in large bunches. Each tree yields about two
hundred fruit in a year. The fruit contains ten to twelve seeds, as
large as pigeons' eggs, and these, when roasted, are as good as, and
taste very much like, roasted chestnuts.

CHAPTER NINE.

GAGGING A GAVIAL.

After finishing their dinner of durions, the three men again sallied
forth, to see whether something more substantial could be found for a
later repast--either flesh, fowl, or fish. As before, they went in
different directions--Captain Redwood into the forest, Murtagh up the
stream, and Saloo along the sea-beach, where he waded out into the
water, still in the hope of picking up another large oyster. He took
with him a stalk of bamboo, pointed at one end, to be used as a probe in
the soft bottom in case any oysters might be lying _perdu_ beneath the
sand.

Henry and Helen were again left to themselves, but this time they were
not to remain seated under any tree--at least, not all the time. The
father, before leaving, had enjoined upon both of them to take a bath;
ablution having become very necessary on account of their having been so
long cribbed up in the somewhat dirty pinnace. It would be also of
service in promoting their restoration to health and strength. They
went into the water, not together, but at some distance apart--Henry
choosing to go down to the sea, while Helen entered the stream close by,
as it had clear water with a