We had great difficulty in forcing our way through the forest, having, at every instant, to clamber over prostrate trees, creep through brambles or cross over swamps, but we had, at all events, the satisfaction of progressing, which we certainly should not have had in the forests of Brazil, where such an undertaking would have been impracticable.

It is true that there were creepers and orchids, but not in such numbers as in Brazil, and the trees, too, stand far wider apart.

We saw some splendid specimens, towering to a height of above a hundred feet.

The objects which interested us most were the ebony and kolim trees.
The timber of the first is of two kinds, a layer of brownish-yellow surrounding the inner stem, which composes that portion especially known as ebony.
The kolim-tree diffuses an excessively strong odour, similar to that of onions, indicating its site at some distance off.

The fruit tastes extremely like onions, and is very often used by the common people, but its odour and taste are too strong for Europeans.