the sea there is. very little ground elevated above high-
water mark; while for many miles further inland, the
hanks of the main stream and its numerous tributaries are
swampy, and in the wet season flooded for a considerable
distance. Palembang is built on a patch of elevated
ground, a few miles in extent, on the north bank of the
river. At a spot about three miles from the town this
rises into a little hill, the top of which is held sacred by
the natives, and is shaded by some fine trees, inhabited by
a colony of squirrels, which have become half tame. On
holding out a few crumbs of bread or any fruit, they come
running down the trunk, take the morsel out of your
fingers, and dart away instantly. Their tails are carried
erect, and the hair, which is ringed with grey, yellow, and
brown, radiates uniformly around them, and looks exceedingly
pretty. They have somewhat of the motions of
mice, coming on with little starts, and gazing intently
with their large black eyes, before venturing to advance
further. The manner in which Malays often obtain the
confidence of wild animals is a very pleasing trait in their
character, and is due in some degree to the quiet deliberation
of their manners, and their love of repose rather than
of action. The young are obedient to the wishes of their
elders, and seem to feel none of that propensity to mischief
which European hoys exhibit. How long would tame
squirrels continue to inhabit trees in the vicinity of an
English village, even if close to the church ? They would
soon be pelted and driven away, or snared and confined in
a whirling cage. I have never heard of these pretty
animals being tamed in this way in England, but I should
think it might be easily done in any gentlemans park,
and they would certainly be as pleasing and attractive as
they would be uncommon.
After many inquiries, I found that a day s journey by
water above Palembang there commenced a military road,
which extended up to the mountains and even across to
Bencoolen, and I determined to take this route and travel
on till I found some tolerable collecting ground. By this
means I should secure dry land and a good road, and avoid
the rivers, which at this season are very tedious to ascend
owing to the powerful currents, and very unproductive to
the collector owing to most of the lands in their vicinity
being under water. Leaving early in the morning we did
not reach Lorok, the village .where the road begins, till
late at night. I stayed there a few days, but found that
almost all the ground in the vicinity not under water was
cultivated, and that the only forest was in swamps which
were now inaccessible. The only bird new to me which I
obtained at Lorok was the fine long-tailed parroquet
(Palseornis longicauda). The people here assured me that
the country was just the same as this for a very long way
—more than a week’s journey, and they seemed hardly to