2 MR. G. MANN'S EXPEDITION 
which renders Victoria such a pleasant and agreeable residence 
for Europeans. How much more beneficial it would be for inva- 
lids if a sanitarium was established on one of the many hills which 
surround this settlement, when Europeans, and especially the 
English, who live in great numbers in the vicinity, could in five or 
six days exchange the dangerous climate of the Gulf of Guinea 
for their own, without the great expense with which such an ex- 
change is at present connected. 
The forest surrounding the settlement is the same that I saw 
last year,—beautiful in the beginning of December, when, from 
the change of season, many of the trees appeared in all the beauty 
of their young foliage, with large masses of flowers among various 
shades of green. Especially conspicuous was a species of Baphia?, 
the flower of which looked like a peony. Lophira alata was already 
in full lower: the lady natives wear in their hair and ears the light- 
red wings of the fruit of this plant. The shore is bordered by an 
Amomum (1034 of list), which is here very common along the coast ; 
but I endeavoured in vain to find the white-flowered species which 
I noticed last year. Monodora grandiflora was conspicuous from 
its beautiful foliage; but my hope of obtaining fruits for the 
Museum was vain, for I had come too late, and they were already 
fallen. I found, however, living seeds, which I believe to be di- 
stinct from the specimen which I sent from St. Thomas's in fruit, 
and Prince's Island in flower. The fruits are the same. 
I found the interpreter, who accompanied me last year in my 
exeursion to one of the highest villages on the mountain, still in 
Victoria, and ready to accompany me on this expedition. When, 
however, he heard that I should be ready in one or two days to 
leave the coast, he made many diffieulties ; and the two following 
days were passed, with the aid of the missionaries, in tedious en- 
deavours to organize my party of interpreters, guides, and porters. 
On the 10th December, H.M.S. Bloodhound anchored near the 
settlement ; and Consul Burton, accompanied by Commander Dol- 
bin, landed. The former informed me that it was his desire to 
visit the mountains also; and we agreed that, ten days later, I 
should send down some of my people to Victoria, in order to fetch 
some more food, and at the same time to serve as guides to Consul 
Burton. On the night of the 12th-13th, the rainy season 
bade farewell to the coast ; after a few days of fine weather, how- 
ever, the rain poured down again, and brought to my recollection 
all the diffieulties under which I had brought my first collection 
from the mountain of Fernando Po. At the same time I deter- 
