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177»- and canals. Of fweet fmell mg flowers they have a great va-
,December.^ altogether unknown in Europe, the chief of which I
fhall briefly defcribe.
1. The Champacka, or Michelia Champacca. This grows upon
a tree as large as an apple tree, and confifts of fifteen long
narrow petala, which give it the appearance of being double,,
though in reality it is not fo : its colour is yellow, and much
deeper than that of a jonquil, tO‘ which it- has fome refem--
blance in fmell.
2. The Cananga. or Uvaria Cananga, is a green flower, not
at all refembling the bloflom o f any tree or plant in Europe*,
it has indeed more the appearance of a bunch of leaves than
a flower; its fcent is agreeable, but altogether peculiar to
itfelf.
3. The Mulatti, or NyBanthes Sambae. This is well known in
Englifh hot-houfes by the name of Arabian, j^flamine: it.
grows here in the greateft profufion, and its fragrance,, like,
that of all other Indian flowers,, though exquifitely pleafing,.
has not that over-powering ftrength which diftinguifh.es fome
of the fame forts in Europe..
4,5. The. Combang Caracnajft, and Combang Tonquin, Percularls
Glabra. Thefe are fmall flowers,: of the dog’s-bane kind,
very much refembling each other in fhape and fmell, highly
fragrant, but very different, from every produdtof an Englifh
garden.
6. The Botiga Tanjeng, or Mimufops Elengi of Linnaeus. This
flower is fhaped like a liar of feven or eight rays, and is
about half an inch in diameter; it is o f a yellowifh colour,
and has an agreeable fmell.
Befides thefe, there is the Sundal Malam, or Polianthes Tuber-
rofa. This flower, being the fame with our own tuberofe, can
have
have no place among thofe that are unknown in Europe,
but I mention it for its Malay name, which fignifies “ In- i-----—
triguer of the Night,” and is not inelegantly conceived.
The heat of this climate is fo great, that few flowers exhale
their fweets in the day; and this in particular, from its total
want of fcent at that time, and the modefty of its colour,
which is white, feems negligent of attracting admirers, but
as foon as night comes on, it diffufes its fragrance, and at
once compels the attention, and excites the complacency of
all who approach it.
Thefe are all fold about the ftreets every evening at fun-
fet either ftrung upon a thread, in wreaths of about two
feet long, or made up into nofegays of different forms,
’either of which may be purchafed for about a halfpenny.
Befides thefe, there are, in private gardens, many other
fweet flowers, which are not produced in a fufficient quantity
to be brought to market. With a mixture of thefe flowers,
and the leaves of a plant called pandang, cut into fmall
pieces, perfons of both fexes fill their hair and their clothes,
and with the fame mixture indulge a much higher luxury by
firewing it on their beds, fo that the chamber in which they
fleep, breathes the richeft and pureft o f all odours, unallayed
by the fumes which cannot but arife where the deeper lies
under two or three blankets and a quilt, for the bed covering
here is nothing more than a Angle piece of fine chintz.
Before I clofe my account of the vegetable productions of
this part of India, I muft take fome notice of the fpices.
Java originally produced none but pepper. This is now
lent from hence into Europe to a great value, but the quantity
confumed here is very fmall: the inhabitants ufe Cap-
Jtcum, or, as it is called in Europe, Cayan pepper, almoft
univerfally in its ftead. Cloves and nutmegs, having been
U u 2 monopolized