MaNGOSTAN,
alfo inhabit Sumatra. He gives us the defcription o f the
blue-rumped perroquet o f Mr. Latham, Supp. Ixvi. The fore
head and rump are blue j the predominant color of the reft
-of the plumage pale-green ; the inner coverts of the wings
crimfon.
T he ihort-tailed Pie, Latbam, S.upp. 81. Sonnerat, it. tab. ex.
differs very little from that deftribed in vol. o f the Outlines
of the Globe. .
T he Routoul of Malacca, is a moft curious fpecies of crowned
pigeon,defcribed by M.Sonnerat, ii. *74.' tab. c . ; as is a variety
by Mr. Latham, ii. 623, tab. lxiii.
F ob. the woodpecker of Malacca, Sonnerat, ii. p. a n , Liatbam,
Supp. p. i n . I refer to the authors cited.
L et me return to the vegetable kingdom to make one exception
to nay defign. I muft here mention the Garcinia Mango-
Jlana, the moft boafted fruit o f the Indies, and which is found in
the higheft perfedtion in this peninfula; the name Mangojlan is
Malayan. It is a fpecies confined to Malacca and the Malaye
ifl.es; grows, neither in Hindooftan, nor naturally in the Molucca
ifles, but is cultivated in Atnboina; the tree does not attain
any great height; the fruit is o f th e iiz ’e o f a Email apple, of
a round form, and deep red wine color ; on the fummit is a liar
of five or fix rays, fquared at their ends-; at th'e bottom are four
hollow leaves, the remains of the calyx ; the infide is purple, and
like a furrowed globe divided into fegments, each containing a
kernel. Thefe fegments are full of juice, the moft delicious that
can be imagined, a fine mixture o f tart and fweet, and fo whole-
fome as to be allowed in any quantities to feverous patients.
This
This valuable tree is defcribed by Bontius, p. 115, of his Hifhria
Naturalis Ind. Orient, who ulhers in his defcription with thefe
lines,
* Cedant Heiperii longe hinc, mala aurea fruftus,
Ambrofia pafcit Mangujtam, et nectarc, divos,
Laurence Garcin, a phyfician, firft gave a fcientifical account
o f it, and was honored by Linnceus, in having his name
given to the genus. A full tranflation o f Garcin'o defcription
(with the plate) is publilhed in vol. viii. p. 755, o f Martyn's
abridgment o f our Tranfadtions. In the Herbarium Amboi-
nenfe t, is a very good defcription, and in plate xliii an excellent
figure o f the fame tree. Every voyager who has vifited
the places o f the growth o f this delicious fruit, is full o f its
praifes.
I n o w return to the coaft. The kingdom o f Siam recom- U p p e r S iam .
mences on this fide near Sangora, exadily oppofite to its limits
on the bay o f Bengal. The town ftands on a large river, and
has fome commerce in tin, ivory, aloe-wood, and coarfe gold.
Ligore, about twelve leagues to the north, is a very commer- L io o r e .
cial town, and its neighborhood produces abundance o f tin and
o f elephants teeth. It is feated a few miles up the river, and
built o f bamboo, thatched with reeds; the pagodas have lofty
fteeples in form of pyramids. The Hutch have or had here a
fadtory; their houfes ftand a league within the mouth o f the
river, and are built with brick. The road for ihipping is two
leagues at fea.
* J.B. Bontius, 1. 6. c. 27. f Vol. i. p. 132;
V ol. III. G th e