Among a profusion of other flowering shrubs and plants was the _Cassia occidentalis_, (Bandram of the natives,) several species of _Solanum_; the pretty _Vinca rosea_, or rose periwinkle, _Datura fastuosa_, the fruit of which the natives told me would cause madness if eaten; it was named by them Tropungo; several species of _Convolvoli_; a species of _Senecio_, with a number of others, wild and cultivated, some of which exhaled fragrant odours; and a multitude of butterflies and other insects, vieing with one another in brilliancy and harmony of colours, flew about in apparent enjoyment of the fervent tropical sun, among the profusion of flowers which strewed the ground. The _Jatropha curcas_, or Bánawa of the natives, was planted, as well as the bamboo, for fences; rice-fields were numerous, but this being the dry season, the fields were dry, and the harvest collected, the variety of succulent and other plants that sprung up about them, afforded excellent feeding for the numerous herds of cattle rambling about. During the rainy season, which occurs from about November to nearly the termination of the month of February, the planting of rice takes place; the fields, for the most part dry at the present time, are then overflown; the season of the rice harvest usually occurs in April. The country, although flat, had a pleasing fertile aspect, and when the vivid green or golden yellow of the rice plantation was added, its beauty must be still further increased. The rajah, his followers, and the merchants, appear to be all Moormen, either natives of, or descendants from, those born in Hindostan. The bazaar trade appears for the most part also to be monopolized by them; the Malays seem the tillers of the soil, or subordinates, in other respects. The Hindostanee natives, or their descendants, are evidently the conquerors of the coast, and of course the heads of government are of that race. The rajah made Mr. Fearon a present of a small bullock, cocoa-nuts, plantains, sugar-canes, &c., and accepted an invitation to visit the ship the day following, when it would be requisite, from their professing the Mahometan creed, that “all pigs should be kept from grunting,” or getting an afternoon’s liberty.[143] About noon, taking leave of the rajah and his party, we returned on board. At this place no canoes came off to the ship with fish, fowls, fruit, &c., for sale; none but those on business came to the ship, and Mr. Fearon was advised by the rajah not to allow any to do so. This appeared strange, as off the other villages to the eastward of Pedir, goats, fruit, fowls, yams, &c., were brought off for sale; but we afterwards had good reason for suspecting that some of the rajah’s followers were desirous of supplying the ship, placing their own prices on the articles, allowing a per centage to his highness, and thus contrived to have a prohibition placed on canoes coming alongside. CHAPTER XX.