The country about Pedir, as far as I had an opportunity of seeing it, was very picturesque, abounding in a luxuriant, natural vegetation, as well as in a state of cultivation. The native habitations are almost hidden by cocoa-nut, plantain, areka, eju, jack, and other trees; fragrant odours were exhaled from the multitude of flowers which strewed the surface of the ground; and a variety of profuse vegetation was spread over the face of nature. The soil is rich, and the numerous vegetables (among which the purple and white yams are abundant) planted in the gardens of the natives, are most prolific.[152] The habitations, as I have before noticed, are raised upon posts, which I should suppose, in these marshy situations, are intended to guard against the miasmata which must rise from the surface of the ground after the rains, and to the influence of which the inhabitants would be much exposed, if their dwellings were not placed on an elevated site. The plain is beautiful, and the back-ground of the landscape is terminated by mountains, varying in elevation, and extending in a direction principally from east to west;[153] sometimes covered by fleecy clouds, and at others, glowing in the varying and beautiful tints of a setting sun, which cast its expiring rays, undimmed by a cloud, over the towering masses. After walking in the vicinity of the village,—for our guides evinced no desire of taking us further inland,—we were desired to enter a house to rest ourselves: by an invitation to enter, is only meant being seated in the verandah; for we did not, or rather were not permitted to, intrude ourselves into any other parts of the dwelling. At this place cocoa-nut water was again offered as a refreshment. We requested to be taken further in the interior of the country; but, although a refusal was never given, yet we found we were invariably taken, by other paths, back to the place from whence we came. We became at last, from this and other circumstances, convinced that our Moor friends were fearful of exposing themselves to the krisses of the “Hill people,” from whom they appear to have conquered some portion of the country, establishing themselves as traders.