Embassy to the Eastern Courts of Cochin-China, Siam, and Muscat: In the U. S. Sloop-of-war Peacock, David Geisinger, Commander, During the Years 1832-3-4Roberts, Edmund
History
Embassy to the Eastern Courts of Cochin-China, Siam, and Muscat: In the U. S. Sloop-of-war Peacock, David Geisinger, Commander, During the Years 1832-3-4
Roberts, Edmund
Southeast Asia -- Commerce; Southeast Asia -- Description and travel
On our return, we visited the garden, and found it a delicious retreat
and in fine condition. The broad wide avenues are kept in neat order
and lined with trees of various kinds. A fine stream of water conducted
from the adjacent mountains, along neat canals, over pebbly beds,
passes through the garden and divides the compartments of exotics from
the avenues. The servants in attendance explained the endless variety
of trees, shrubs and plants, and permitted us to take specimens of
every thing we fancied.
This delightful spot is situated at the base of the Corcovado, on a
rich plain, fronting the little lake and comprises about seventy acres.
Here are many square plots of ground, containing altogether about six
acres of tea, both black and green, of which there are said to be ten
or twelve varieties. The plant is in height about ten feet, and bears
a small, delicate, white flower; it was in a healthy and flourishing
condition. The dried tea may be obtained in the city. The amboyna and
cayenne cloves grow here; the former being much more fragrant than the
latter. We also found the nutmeg--cinnamon of several kinds, pepper,
pimento, cardamoms, the camphor and sago palm, the bread-fruit in full
bearing, many varieties of the anana or pine-apple, the orange, limes,
sweet and sour lemons, citron, the mamoon, marrow or mamee apple, the
mango and delicious mangusteen of Java, the jack and the shaddock, the
banana, the plantain, the calambolla, &c., &c. The last is a sub-acid
fruit, of an oblong form and light straw colour, when ripe; it is
deeply grooved or ridged with sharp edges and is very refreshing and
agreeable to the taste. A beautiful arbour of a square form, having
vacant openings in imitation of doors and windows, stands in the centre
of the garden, furnished with a table; it is a place of great resort
for pic-nic parties and is ascended by artificial steps, made of the
green-sward.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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