nly over
the ground--the ground itself being neither more nor less than the
contiguous heads of the other trees, that formed the forest. Had this
forest been a law jungle, there would have been nothing extraordinary in
what they saw; but our hunters had already observed that it was a true
forest of grand trees--most of them a hundred feet in height. As the
trees which had attracted their admiration rose full fifty feet above
the tops of the others, it may be imagined what tall individuals they
were. They were slender, too, in proportion to their height; and these
stems rising two hundred feet, without a single offshoot or branch upon
them, gave the trees the appearance of being still taller than they
actually were--just as a thin clean spar, set upright, looks much taller
than a hill or a house of the same elevation.

We have said that there were no branches for the first hundred feet or
so up the stem. Beyond that there were many and large limbs; which,
diverging only slightly, and in a fastigiate manner, carried the tree
nearly as much higher. These branches were regularly set; and covered
with small, light, green leaves, forming a beautiful round head.

The bark of this tree was white, and by piercing it with a knife, our
hunters perceived that it was soft and milky. The wood, too, for some
inches below the periphery was so spongy, that the blade of the knife
penetrated into it almost as easily as into the stalk of a cabbage.

The wood near the bark was of a white colour. Inwards it became harder;
and had they been able to reach the heart, they would have found it very
hard, and of a dark chocolate colour. On exposure to the air, this
heart-wood turns black as ebony; and is used for similar purposes by the
native Dyaks and Malays, who manufacture from it bracelets and other
_bijouterie_.

On asking their Dyak guide the name of this remarkable tree, he said it
was called the _tapang_. This, however, gave no information regarding
its species; but Alexis, shortly after, in passing under one, observed
some flowers that had fallen from its top; and having examined one of
these, pronounced the tree a species of _ficus_--a very common genus in
the islands of the Indian Archipelago.

If our young hunters were filled with admiration at sight of this
beautiful tree itself, they shortly after observed something that
changed their admiration into wonder. On advancing towards one of the
tapangs, they were struck wi