Chapter XII

GIANT TREES AND CHARACTERISTIC FORMS OF TROPICAL VEGETATION.

General Remarks--The Baobab--Used as a Vegetable Cistern--
Arborescent Euphorbias--The Dracæna of Orotava--The Sycamore--
The Banyan--The sacred Bo-Tree of Anarajapoora--The Teak Tree--
The Saul--The Sandal Tree--The Satinwood Tree--The Ceiba--
The Mahogany Tree--The Mora--Bamboos--The Guadua--Beauty
and multifarious Uses of these colossal Grasses--Firing the
Jungle--The Aloes--The Agave americana--The Bromelias--The
Cactuses--The Mimosas--Bush-ropes--Climbing Trees--Emblems of
Ingratitude--Marriage of the Fig Tree and the Palm--Epiphytes--
Water Plants--Singularly-shaped Trees--The Barrigudo--The
Bottle Tree--Trees with Buttresses and fantastical Roots--
The Mangroves--Their Importance in Furthering the Growth of
Land-Animal Life among the Mangroves--‘Jumping Johnny’--
Insalubrity of the Mangrove Swamps--The Lum--Trees with
formidable Spines 120

CHAPTER XIII.

PALMS AND FERNS.

The Cocoa-nut Tree--Its hundred Uses--Cocoa-nut Oil--Coir--
Porcupine Wood--Enemies of the Cocoa Palm--The Sago Palm--
The Saguer--The Gumatty--The Areca Palm--The Palmyra Palm--
The Talipot--The Cocoa de Mer--Ratans--A Ratan bridge in
Ceylon--The Date Tree--The Oil Palms of Africa--The Oil Trade
at Bonny--Its vast and growing Importance--American Palms--
The Carnauba--The Ceroxylon andicola--The Cabbage Palm--The
Gulielma speciosa--The Piaçava--Difficulties of the Botanist
in ascertaining the various species of Palms--Their wide
geographical range--Different Physiognomy of the Palms according
to their height--The Position and Form of their Fronds--Their
Fruits--Their Trunk--The Yriartea ventricosa--Arborescent
Ferns 146

CHAPTER XIV.

THE CHIEF ESCULENT PLANTS OF THE TORRID ZONE.

Rice--Various Aspect of the Rice-fields at different Seasons--The
Rice-Bird--Maize--First imported from America by Columbus--Its
enormous Productiveness--Its wide zone of Cultivation--Millet,
Dhourra--The Bread-Fruit Tree--The Bananas--Their ancient
Cultivation--Avaca or Manilla Hemp--Humboldt’s Remarks on the
Banana--The Traveller’s Tree of Madagascar--The Cassava Root--
Tapioca--Yams--Batatas--Arrowroot--Taro--Tropical Fruit
Trees--The Chirimoya--The Litchi--The Mangosteen--The Mango
163

CHAPTER XV.

SUGAR, COFFEE, CACAO, COCA.

Progress of the Sugar Cane throughout the Tropical Zone--The
Tahitian Sugar Cane--The enemies of the Sugar Cane--The
Sugar-Harvest--The Coffee Tree--Its cultivation and enemies--
The Cacao Tree and the Vanilla--The Coca Plant--Wonderful
strengthening Effects of Coca, and fatal consequences of its
Abuse 174

CHAPTER XVI.

TROPICAL PLANTS USED FOR INDUSTRIAL PURPOSES.

Cotton--Its Cultivation in the United States--Caoutchouc and
Gutta Percha--Manner in which these resins are collected--
Indigo--The British Logwood cutters in Honduras--Brazil Wood--
Arnatto 188

CHAPTER XVII.

TROPICAL SPICES.

The Cinnamon Gardens of Ceylon--Immense profits of the Dutch--
Decline of the Trade--Neglected state of the Gardens--Nutmegs
and Cloves--Cruel monopoly of the Dutch--A Spice Fire in
Amsterdam--The Clove Tree--Beauty of an Avenue of Clove Trees--
The Nutmeg Tree--Mace--The Pepper Vine--The Pimento Tree 197

CHAPTER XVIII.

TROPICAL INSECTS, SPIDERS, AND SCORPIONS.

Gradual increase of Insect life on advancing towards the Line--
The Hercules Beetle--The Goliath--The Inca Beetle--The
Walking-leaf and Walking-stick Insects--The Soothsayer--
Luminous Beetles--Tropical Spiders--Their gaudy colours--
Trap-door Spiders--Enemies of the Spiders--Mortal Combat
between a Spider and a Cockroach--Tropical Scorpions--Dreadful
Effects of their sting 205

CHAPTER XIX.

INSECT PLAGUES AND INSECT SERVICES.

The Universal Dominion of Insects--Mosquitoes--Stinging
Flies--_Œstrus Hominis_--The Chegoe or Jigger--The _Filaria
Medinensis_--The Bête-Rouge--Blood-sucking Ticks--Garapatas--
The Land-leeches in Ceylon--The Tsetsé Fly--The Tsalt-Salya--
The Locust--Its dreadful Devastations--Cockroaches--The
Drummer--The Cucarachas and Chilicabras--Tropical Ants--The
Saüba--The Driver Ants--Termites--Their wonderful Buildings--
The Silkworm--The Cochineal--The Gumlack Insect--Insects used
as Food and Ornaments 221

CHAPTER XX.

THE MALAYAN RACE.

Physical Conformation of the Malays--Betel Chewing--Their
Moral Character--Limited Intelligence of the Malays--Their
Maritime Tastes--Piracy--Gambling--Cock-fighting--Running
A-Muck!--Fishing--Malayan Superstitions--The Battas--Their
Cannibalism--Eating a Man alive--The Begus--Aërial Huts--
Funeral Ceremonies--The Dyaks--Head-Hunting--The Sumpitan--
Large Houses 253

CHAPTER XXI.

THE TROPICAL OCEAN.

Wanderings of an Iceberg--The Tropical Ocean--The Cachalot--
The Frigate Bird--The Tropic Bird--The Esculent Swallow--The
Flying-fish--The Bonito--The White Shark--Tropical Fishes--
Crustaceans--Land Crabs--Mollusks--Jelly Fish--Coral Islands
266

CHAPTER XXII.

THE PAPUANS AND POLYNESIANS.

The Papuans--Their Physical and Moral Characteristics--Their
Artistic Tastes--Their Dwellings--Their Primitive Political
Institutions--Their Weapons and Mode of Fighting--The
Polynesians--Their Manners and Customs when first visited by
Europeans--Tattooing--The Tapa Cloth--Their Canoes--Swimming
Feats--Aristocratic Forms of Government--The Tabu--Religion--
Superstitious Observances--Human Sacrifices--Infanticide--Low
Condition of the Coral Islanders 276

CHAPTER XXIII.

SNAKES.

First Impressions of a Tropical Forest--Exaggerated Fears--
Comparative rareness of Venomous Snakes--Their Habits and
External Characters--Anecdote of the Prince of Neu Wied--The
Bite of the Trigonocephalus--Antidotes--Fangs of the Venomous
Snakes described--The Bush-Master--The Echidna Ocellata--
The Rattlesnakes--Extirpated by Hogs--The Cobra de Capello--
Indian Snake-Charmers--Maritime Excursions of the Cobra--The
Egyptian Haje--The Cerastes--Boas and Pythons--The Jiboya--
The Anaconda--Enemies of the Serpents--The Secretary--The
Adjutant--The Mungoos--A Serpent swallowed by another--The
Locomotion of Serpents--Anatomy of their Jaws--Serpents feeding
in the Zoological Gardens--Domestication of the Rat-Snake--
Water-Snakes 292

CHAPTER XXIV.

LIZARDS, FROGS, AND TOADS.

Their Multitude within the Tropics--The Geckoes--Anatomy of
their Feet--The Anolis--Their Love of Fight--The Chameleon--
Its wonderful Changes of Colour--Its Habits--Peculiarities of
its Organisation--The Iguana--The Teju--The Water-Lizards--
Lizard Worship on the Coast of Africa--The Flying Dragon--The
Basilisk--Frogs and Toads--The Pipa--The Bahia Toad--The
Giant Toad--The Musical Toad--Brazilian and Surinam Tree-Frogs
310

CHAPTER XXV.

TORTOISES AND TURTLES.

The Galapagos--The Elephantine Tortoise--The Marsh-Tortoises--
Mantega--River-Tortoises--Marine-Turtles--On the Brazilian
Coast--Their Numerous Enemies--The Island of Ascension--
Turtle-Catching at the Bahama and Keeling Islands--Turtle caught
by means of the Sucking-Fish--The Green Turtle--The Hawksbill
Turtle--Turtle Scaling in the Feejee Islands--Barbarous mode
of selling Turtle-flesh in Ceylon--The Coriaceous Turtle--Its
awful Shrieks 321

CHAPTER XXVI.

CROCODILES AND ALLIGATORS.

Their Habits--The Gavial and the Tiger--Mode of Seizing their
Prey--Their Voice--Their Preference of Human Flesh--Alligator
against Alligator--Wonderful Tenacity of Life--Tenderness of
the Female Cayman for her Young--The Crocodile of the Nile--Its
Longevity--Enemies of the Crocodile--Torpidity of Crocodiles
during the Dry Season--Their Awakening from their Lethargy with
the First Rains--‘Tickling a Crocodile’ 332

CHAPTER XXVII.

TROPICAL BIRD LIFE.

The Toucan--Its Quarrelsome Character--The Humming-birds--Their
wide Range over the New World--Their Habits--Their Enemies--
Their Courage--The Cotingas--The Campanero--The Tangaras--The
Manakins--The Cock of the Rock--The Troupials--The Baltimore--
The Pendulous Nests of the Cassiques--The Mocking-bird--
Strange Voices of Tropical Birds--The Goat-Sucker’s Wail--The
Organista--The Cilgero--The Flamingos--The Scarlet Ibis--The
Jabiru--The Roseate Spoon-bill--The Jacana--The Calao--The
Sun-birds--The Melithreptes--The Argus--The Peacock--Tropical
Waders of the Old World--The African Ibis--The Numidian Crane--
Australian Birds--The Lyre Bird--The Birds of Paradise--
African Weaving Birds--The Social Grosbeak--The Baya--The
Tailor-bird--The Honey Eaters--The Bower-bird--The Talegalla--
The Gualama 342

CHAPTER XXVIII.

TROPICAL BIRDS OF PREY.

The Condor--His Marvellous Flight--His Cowardice--Various
Modes of Capturing Condors--Ancient Fables circulated about
them--Comparison of the Condor with the Albatross--The
Carrion Vultures--The King of the Vultures--Domestication
of the Urubu--Its Extraordinary Memory--The Harpy Eagle--
Examples of his Ferocity--The Oricou--The Bacha--His Cruelty
to the Klipdachs--The Fishing Eagle of Africa--The Musical
Sparrow-hawk--The Secretary Eagle 376

CHAPTER XXIX.

THE OSTRICH AND THE CASSOWARY.

Size of the Ostrich--Its astonishing Swiftness--Ostrich Hunting--
Stratagem of the Ostrich for protecting its Young--Points of
Resemblance with the Camel--Its Voracity--Ostrich Feathers--
Domestication of the Ostrich in Algeria--Poetical Legend of the
Arabs--The American Rheas--The Cassowary--The Australian Emu
384

CHAPTER XXX.

PARROTS.

Their Peculiar Manner of Climbing--Points of Resemblance with
Monkeys--Their Social habits--Their Connubial Felicity--
Inseparables--Talent for Mimicry--Wonderful Powers of Speech
and Memory--Their Wide Range within the Temperate Zones--Colour
of Parrots Artificially Changed by the South American Indians--
The Cockatoos--Cockatoo killing in Australia--The Macaw--The
Parakeets 392

CHAPTER XXXI.

TROPICAL RUMINANTS AND EQUIDÆ.

The Camel--Its Paramount Importance in the great Tropical
Sandwastes--Its Organisation admirably adapted to its mode
of Life--Beauty of the Giraffe--Its Wide Range of Vision--
Pleasures of Giraffe Hunting--The Antelopes--The Springbok--
The Reedbok--The Duiker--The Atro--The Gemsbok--The
Klippspringer--The Koodoo--The Gnu--The Indian Antelope--
The Nylghau--The Caffrarian Buffalo--The Indian Buffalo and
the Tiger--Dr. Livingstone’s Escape from a solitary Buffalo--
Swimming Feats of the Bhain--The Zebra--The Quagga--The Douw
399

CHAPTER XXXII.

THE HIPPOPOTAMUS.

Behemoth--Its Diminishing Number and Contracting Empire--Its
Ugliness--A Rogue Hippopotamus or Solitaire--Dangerous
Meeting--Intelligence and Memory of the Hippopotamus--Methods
employed for Killing the Hippopotamus--Hippopotamus-Hunting on
the Teoge--The Hippopotamus in Regent’s Park--A Young Hippo
born in Paris 417

CHAPTER XXXIII.

THE RHINOCEROS.

Brutality of the Rhinoceros--The Borelo--The Keitloa--The
Monoho--The Kobaaba--Difference of Food and Disposition between
the Black and the White Rhinoceros--Incarnation of Ugliness--
Acute Smell and Hearing--Defective Vision--The Buphaga
Africana--Paroxysms of Rage--Parental Affection--Nocturnal
Habits--Rhinoceros Hunting--Adventures of the Chase--Narrow
Escapes of Messrs. Oswell and Andersson--The Indian Rhinoceros--
The Sumatran Rhinoceros--The Javanese Rhinoceros--Its
involuntary Suicide 423

CHAPTER XXXIV.

THE ELEPHANT.

Love of Solitude, and Pusillanimity--Miraculous Escape of an
English Officer--Sagacity of the Elephant in ascending Hills--
Organisation of the Stomach--The Elephant’s Trunk--Use of the
Tusks still Probmatical--The Rogue-Elephant--Sagacity of the
Elephant--The African Elephant--Tamed in Ancient Times--South
African Elephant-Hunting--Hair-Breadth Escapes--Abyssinian
Elephant-Hunters--Cutting up of an Elephant--The Asiatic
Elephant--Vast Numbers destroyed in Ceylon--Major Rogers--
Elephant-Catchers--Their amazing Dexterity--The Corral--Decoy
Elephants--Their astonishing Sagacity--Great Mortality among
the Captured Elephants--Their Services 431

CHAPTER XXXV.

TROPICAL FELIDÆ.

The Lion--Conflicts with Travellers on Mount Atlas--The Lion and
the Hottentat--A Lion taken in--Narrow Escapes of Andersson
and Dr. Livingstone--Lion-Hunting by the Arabs of the Atlas--
By the Bushmen--The Asiatic Lion--The Lion and the Dog--The
Tiger--The Javanese Jungle--The Peacock--Wide Northern Range
of the Tiger--Tiger-Hunting in India--Miraculous Escape of an
English Sportsman--Animals announcing the Tiger’s Presence--
Turtle-Hunting of the Tiger on the Coasts of Java--The Panther
and the Leopard--The Leopard attracted by the Smell of
Small-pox--The Cheetah--The Jaguar--The Puma--The smaller
American Felidæ--The Hyæna--Fables told of these abject
Animals--The Striped Hyæna--The Spotted Hyæna--The Brown Hyæna
446

CHAPTER XXXVI.

THE AUSTRALIAN RACE.

Physical Conformation of the Australians--Their Low State of
Civilisation--Their Superstitions--Their Wars--Singing and
Dancing--The Corrobory--Division of the Nation into Great
Families--Rules Regulating the property of Land and the
Distribution of Food--Skill in Hunting the Kangaroo and the
Opossum--Feasting on a Whale--Moral Qualities and Intelligence
of the Australians 466

CHAPTER XXXVII.

THE SLOTH.

Miserable Aspect of the Sloth--His Beautiful Organisation for his
Peculiar Mode of Life--His Rapid Movements in the Trees--His
Means of Defence--His Tenacity of Life--Fable about the Sloth
refuted--The Ai--The Unau--The Mylodon Robustus 477

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

ANT-EATERS.

The Great Ant-Bear--His Way of Licking up Termites--His
Formidable Weapons--A Perfect Forest Vagabond--His Peculiar
Manner of Walking--The Smaller Ant-Eaters--The Manides--
The African Aard Vark--The Armadillos--The Glyptodon--The
Porcupine Ant-Eater of Australia--The Myrmecobius Fasciatus 482

CHAPTER XXXIX.

TROPICAL BATS.

Wonderful Organisation of the Bats--The Fox-Bat--The Vampire--
Its Blood-Sucking Propensities--The Horse-Shoe Bats--The Flying
Squirrel--The Galeopithecus--The Anomalurus 490

CHAPTER XL.

APES AND MONKEYS.

The Forest Life of the Simiæ--Excellent Climbers, Bad
Pedestrians--Similitude and Difference between the Human Race
and the Ape--The Chimpanzee--Chim in Paris--The Gorilla--
The Uran--The Gibbons--The Proboscis Monkey--The Huniman--
The Wanderoo--The Cercopitheca--A Plundering Party--Parental
Affection of a Cercopitheca--The Maimon--‘Happy Jerry’--
The Pig-Faced Baboon--The Derryat--Wide Difference between
the Monkeys of both Hemispheres--Distinctive Characters
of the American Monkeys--The Stentor Monkey--The Spider
Monkeys--The Laïmirit--Friendships Between Various Kinds of
Monkeys--Nocturnal Monkeys--Squirrel Monkeys--Their Lively
Intelligence--The Loris and Makis 496