rocks, make some approach to a sub-alpine vegetation. The forest,
however, is most luxuriant. Noble palms, Pandani, and tree-ferns are
abundant in it, while the forest trees are completely festooned with
Orchideae, Bromeliae, Araceae, Lycopodiums, and mosses. The ordinary
stemless ferns abound; some with gigantic fronds ten or twelve feet
long, others barely an inch high; some with entire and massive leaves,
others elegantly waving their finely-cut foliage, and adding endless
variety and interest to the forest paths. The cocoa-nut palm still
produces fruit abundantly, but is said to be deficient in oil. Oranges
thrive better than below, producing abundance of delicious fruit; but
the shaddock or pumplemous (Citrus decumana) requires the full force of
a tropical sun, for it will not thrive even at Tondano a thousand feet
lower. On the hilly slopes rice is cultivated largely, and ripens well,
although the temperature rarely or never rises to 80 , so that one would
think it might be grown even in England in fine summers, especially if
the young plants were raised under glass.
The mountains have an unusual quantity of earth and vegetable mould
spread over them. Even on the steepest slopes there is everywhere a
covering of clays and sands, and generally a good thickness of vegetable
soil. It is this which perhaps contributes to the uniform luxuriance
of the forest, and delays the appearance of that sub-alpine vegetation
which depends almost as much on the abundance of rocky and exposed
surfaces as on difference of climate. At a much lower elevation on
Mount Ophir in Malacca, Dacrydiums and Rhododendrons with abundance of
Nepenthes, ferns, and terrestrial orchids suddenly took the place of the
lofty forest; but this was plainly due to the occurrence of an extensive
slope of bare, granitic rock at an elevation of less than 3,000 feet.
The quantity of vegetable soil, and also of loose sands and clays,
resting on steep slopes, hill-tops and the sides of ravines, is a
curious and important phenomenon. It may be due in part to constant,
slight earthquake shocks facilitating the disintegration of rock; but,
would also seem to indicate that the country has been long exposed to
gentle atmospheric action, and that its elevation has been exceedingly
slow and continuous.
During my stay at Rurukan, my curiosity was satisfied by experiencing a
pretty sharp earthquake-shock. On the evening of June 29th, at a quarter
after eight, as I was sitting reading, the house began shaking with a
very gentle, but rapidly increasing motion. I sat still enjoying the
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