Demoine courier., 1854-09-14
THE BOTANICAL GARDENS.

THE BOTANICAL GARDENS.
The morning Of the rexi day was
spent in going over the Botanical gar.
dens. In this favored spot. enjoying a
happy medium of temperature, are as
sembled all the flowers, shrubs, fruits,
aud trees common 10 the fiat sea coast,
reeking with damp and heat, and the
drier aud more bracing air Of the noun.
famous districts. Laid on, in happy
symmetry, may here be seen umbra-
geous avenues of the cocoanut tree. the
beiel nut tree, tho date tree, the golden
p~lantain and the rarest ferns; while round
some vast banyan tree, or Indian fig tree,
or luxuriant bread lrui. tree, each stand
ing alone amidst a little lawn of lis own,
benches are fixed, where one can enjoy,
sitting secure in impene,rable shade, the
laughing landscape around. In one spot
sparkle the silver waters Of a fountain:
In another. a graceful temple, or well ex-
ecuted statue, recalls 10 the mind, here at
the n tioodes, amongst the worshippers
of Drama and the followers of Mahome,,
the undying religion of old Greece
From one point OF view | could sec the
spacious palace of the governor, with It's
Ionic ~coloEnades. its imposing terraces,
and capacious wings; from another, in a
walk winding around the brow of a hill,
| had below me a spacious lake, filled
with rare aquatic plants, among which
the sacred lotus of The Hindoos was not
the leas, conspicuous. And these vas,
pleasure grounds, combining park and
garden scenery, are kept in the mos,
perfect order.
One large area was devoted to speci.
mems of the coffee plsnt. with its laurel
like leaves, of a Healthy dark green.-
There was lie pepper-tree. too. with its
insignificant leaf. Caonlchouc trees !
saw, of two or three species. with their
leaves and bark foil of the precious sap.
Much ground was laid on, in the %cultiva-
ton Of divers sorts of tobacco. Cotton,
also, was growing here in plenty; So was
opicm. Cinnamon trees, like vast over
grown ~larrels, oderiferous at a certain
season, were not wanting. The CON.
pautly growing nutmeg Tree. hungry Of
manure. and requiring incessant care,
was well represented. Cloves and ar
row-rooi, and sugar and lea are produced
in these gardens; and much trouble has
been laid out on an acre or two of the
smooth cactus, which is very valuable on
account of the bug which il generates or
supports. This parasiiical insect a. a
certain season is brushed off the leaves.
and when dried and crushed becomes the
famous drng cochineal, so famous for
dyeing. OF course the experience gain
ed by this experimental gardening is
carefully diffused over Java. Thus in
This favored island. under the wise pro.
lection Of the Dutch, ar. assists nature,
not indeed by stimulating, bu. by res.
training and directing her.
After finishing our botanical survey,
We visited the menagerie Of wild anil
mails. Ga our way we passed under the
shade of a gigantic banyan tree. from
whose branches drop down at RICH! an
giles, not creepers or tendrils. but bold
lii,le trunks. like s,alaciites from a cav
era.s root, which worm their way grad.
ually into the ground aad become firmly
fixed there. We then came upon a rki.
noceros with one horn, wallowing, pig.
like. in the waters of a stagnant pool;
then we saw every species Of deer which
The island produces; then a vicious look
ing boar from one of the Molaccas, with
four deadly ,usks Of mos, caPacious for
nation; aud afterwards a pair Of moss
magnificent cassowaries.