The Mountaineer. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1859-1861, 1860-03-10
GREAT SALT LAKE CITY. SATURDAY. MARCH To- 1860.

MaufitiuA And then on the coast III chiral
We have those terrible storms called tSphouns.
And all around these islands the SEQ Rliti coasts
and land arc subject n destructive tcfnpests.
But within the circle Or the archipelago, and
Throughout the Ercnt Java sea. which * equal
m tSteht 20 the Mediterranean; and the seas u.
Celebcs Mindofo and others the winds are a..
seeedingly gentle and regular, blowing Ave
months from the north west, ard sayen fr0In
the s0tItl east The winds are % mild that
the natiyes 81 certain islantis VIII venture in
little open boats 20 traverse q distance 81 two
Thousand mica and upwards, 10 visit the
British settlement of Singapore, The shores
of these islands indicate tire constant tranquil
lily u these waieTA You will olNsfyG the
grass growing 10 the water edge, md there are
10 hold. rugged, rocky conste except on the
ocean side 81 the large islands Of Now Guinea
iSumatTa and Java ss rs
With regard 10 the i,eoI6.sy 81 tIicse islands.
i will not make further remarks iiian 10 siin4
ply say that tic large portion Of tlicm Sumss
tra Java, fifnur, the " olnccas and Philippines,
which with many intermediate small islands.
form almost d complete circle, ars volcanic
III their origin - Irse situated iif the centre
Of this circlei siich IS Bofnep and Sleeles are
mainly seelinentnry In their lofmation, All
these Islands have hinges II mountains running
throughout fiIeir entire length, some sixteen
or seventeen thousand feet IN height on the
island Dc New Guinea there II d mountain
supposed 10 sbe above twenty-five thousand
ieet hitsh, On the islandcf SuInhawa there Isl
one III the most ax lraoftfinary volcanic noun
tniqs III Tie word This mountain, called
Tomboro. far surpasses Mount Etna in size,
aud far exceeds any pf which we have any
record In the terrible character 0f its sIuptiens
About eighty years AFRO an eruption took
Iplace from This mountains the influence Of
hieit was fell to tle distance pf one thousand
and one hundred miles: ID scattered It's ASHES,
and caused earthquake shocks 60 10 felt
Throughout this extent al Iaad The islands IN
| the vicinity were covered ssyettl inches III
depth With acoat 0f ashes. which tFdyetl all
/ vcge and during that year many If the
Einhahitants persisted through famine, ri was
Tegarded BY the natives lis a tgrq lille isitation
tofthe gods and by the Europeans 81 was con.
Il siceTed likely TO be he destruction Of these
islands, but the result was IT caused them TO be-
exeeedingly fertile, Fl
il The fcltilitYof the solicit these islands Is
4 certainly extraordinary be Ittfyes Of most
II Of them can Fiiiss, with facility, two crops Of
rice In ten months or five cf0ps In two wears
They can produce ali kinds 0f: root crops ii,
n immense quantities; hi such quantities that ]
a do not think there is any other country IN tht
s, wefld that is SO amply provided With tht
8 means of subsistence. not only I'M Vegetables
4 but In meat. j have been enabled To purchas.
3 q boat load Of sweet potatoes and delicfolll
/, fruit, eslpal TO good cart ioad, for ten small
4 coppcfs hardly equal in yalne to two American
4 cents have purchased rice EoE about thirt,
,as bundled gsighs which M,s,,l
tcity. 0tIierurtieles u food can be bought Il
= the same ratio - Is:
This extraordinary fertility Is manifest III tn
rnnlSncss Of vegetation every where The luxu
. RANT gfaeaes grow down to the Water'E edge
\ Tie timber is very heavy. Some enoriiIoli
II cypress trees were pointed ont to me neaG
n Ehapultepee, in: Mexico which are supposed h
q be the Mrgest In the world requiring sever
4 men with outstretehed arms to encirclc them
fbnt, observed trees on the island of Suinatra
} that would require nine Lien with arms OK.
Il tended TO stretch round them, and i have beer
IL informed by Malays who have visited New
{ liuinea that there are trees upon this islant
i even more enormous, which, Judging from tin
e accounts given Of them, must be. as suppose
: with regard to those in Mexico, of antedi
! luyian growth. The very atmospher,
seems to impaFt extraordinary vigpr to ypge
d tation. II will put forth even when unaide(
! by immediate CONTACT with the soil, i havt
!. heard Il remarked that you may pull up M,
plant on these islands Ut any time and simply
! tie 1t against the bark ofany tree, and II will
/ not.perish, but viii nnt forth tender roots, ant
will draw sustenande from the insteTsticee 0
2 the bark, and live and flourish rs parasite o.
I that tree. The most beautiful floWerin;
/, i of that isIandare parasites; they gIgl
. like the inistletoo on the oak j have cUunie
e as many as forty two different plants on on
a tree, some with rich festoons OF flowers, an
some like the magnolia. but Different in eoI01
AZ approached one of the stnail Island;
Alter passing the Stats of Snnda; and Bein
eialded on account of the gentieness Of tll
wind and the stiffness Of The sea. to let N
!. Nesse! glide close to one Of the islands, / WI
IL Sl.k6l "a
q an immense quantity of butterflies by caIit
Z SHY was 50 far exei ted as To induce me 10 20
shore AS approached near to tic trees
Z 50 that they We're within the reach Of N
= hand, Twas astenished at the tanlsneBs Of Il
Z apparent butterflies, but still more astonisiis
& 70 discover that they were flotaers, IL .l
g IN the vicinity of another island I observe
= 70 l TIC AR what Appeared 70 be aheRutituI viii
y 4 rose That supposed had been caught up
y The wind and was gently falling to the GROUND
i 3 - tns same time was much surprised nt
= 70 bel any breeze ef wind + was 50 far 1.
= teLished that went to pick up the retnarl
= anie looking flower when it fell; as / III
!: preached nearer perceived a $tten,lUuS mi
y non y us 1pp9Ient leaves, and it iIsd ava
!. 5Eeia me. Thus observed flowers like butte
lilies, aud butterflies like flowers +. 1:
y ihe flowers Of those islands, tduugh retliarl
y euie tI their beauty and variety, ale more
lqE theiI odor There is one termed the nelat
y 81 the blossom Of love. It is q small viii
4, flower, not much larger than the end
z my: finger, H one Of them were placed III tn
3 feoih, N hail minute il would impaTt
y ai'stahee, as strong as, though more pIsasan
Al " aromatic: than, an ounce OF musk strewn u
lei on the hoer. There is another one eaIls
G. iEandal nahum or the beauty OF aIeht, MhiS
or the Malay girls make use Of In the Decorate
IA Of their person, inaiE Of their festivities b
TO caIihe Il possesses such a strong, penetTatin
Is deIshtf1l aroma. The trained girls Who pc
le toIni 10 public dances, always have thcir hg
ia tNined With wreaths made with this Howe
40 After interesting and amusing the: eolnpaI
with their dances and soI,gs. Instead of ItuII
be- round with plate or cup, to collect sIna
% change, they take PORTIONS of the wreath fEo
10 their hair and present them 10 tho gentleme5
ne as &ehhltenge to make q small present in i
turn. ..s$s.5 nj ges 80 = =. M BAL
I'D these islands arc remarkable for Il
n beauty and variety Of their flowers, they a
At stili more % for the great variety OF frui