He thought of chain-shot, and its effects; and it occurred to him that by this means the durions might be brought down from their lofty elevation.
No sooner conceived than carried into execution.

The musket was loaded with a brace of balls united by a piece of stout tarred string.

A shot was fired into the tree, aimed at a place where the fruit appeared thickest.

There was havoc made among the adjacent leaves; and five or six of the great pericarps came crashing to the earth.

A repetition of the firing brought down nearly a dozen, enough to furnish the whole party with food for at least another twenty-four hours.
Having collected the fallen pericarps, they carried them to another tree that stood near, amid whose leafy branches appeared to be no fruits either so sweet to the lips or dangerous to the skull.
Thither also they transferred their quarters, along with the paraphernalia brought up from the boat, intending to make a more permanent encampment under the newly chosen tree.
For the time they kindled no fire, as the weather was warm enough, and the durions did not require cooking; and while making their mid-day meal of the raw fruit, Saloo interested them by relating some particulars of the tree from which it had been obtained.
We shall not follow the Malay's exact words, for, as spoken in "pigeon English," they would scarce be understood; but shall lay before our readers some account of this strange and valuable fruit-tree, culled partly from Saloo's description and partly from other sources.
The durion is a forest tree of the loftiest order, bearing resemblance to the elm, only with a smooth bark, which is also scaly.