TO THE CAMEROON MOUNTAINS. 3 
mined to commence my ascent on the next day, with or without 
the leave of the natives. 
Both the chiefs of Bassumba, the first village up the mountain, 
having come to the market, I agreed to go with them to their 
homes, and thence to Mapanya. I also met with eight natives of 
Bassumba, who were willing to carry part of the things for four 
pieces of cloth (worth £4) ; and on the 13th I finally left the settle- 
ment, with one interpreter, six Kroomen, and eight natives. 
Mr. Pinnock, of the mission, living in Victoria, accompanied me, 
and after a five hours’ walk we reached the village of Bassumba 
(alt. 1492 ft.*). 
The country through which we passed was of the same forest 
tract that surrounds Victoria; amongst the trees was principally 
conspicuous an Zriodendron, which attained an enormous circum- 
ference. Also Anthocleista nobilis and Monodora grandiflora were 
conspicuous from their beautiful foliage, and Sterculia tragacantha, 
without leaves, but covered with carmine-coloured fruit. Ipomea 
and Momordica grew over the trees and bushes on every side where 
the wood was a little more open. Among the ferns was chiefly 
observable a beautiful Hypolepis. 
Here and there the forest was broken by a plantation of plan- 
tains ; and where the wood had been thinned, the surface was occu- 
pied by Saccharum spontaneum, Panicum plicatum, and Amomum 
Danielli, which over-ran the roads wherever sufficient air pene- 
trated through the trees. 
Crossing a small river, a small Aroid (Anubias Barteri, Sch.) 
attracted my attention by its beautiful snow-white flowers ; it 
covered the stones in the stream, as well as the banks. Ancho- 
manes Hookeri was seen on every side, yet manifestly smaller than 
in Fernando Po. Eleis Guineensis and Raphia vinifera are com- 
mon; the latter grows to the height of 700 feet above the sea, and, 
as every where on the coast, forms the chief material in the construc- 
tion of the huts. 
When I wanted to leave Bassumba, on the morning of the 14th, 
to go to Mapanya, all the natives-declared they were tired, and 
that they could not go until the following day ; so that I was com- 
pelled to wait. I made an excursion during the day, and found, 
amongst other things, the large Aroid bulb which I send alive. 
I gave the interpreter leave to go back to the settlement to see 
his sick mother, on condition that he came back in the evening ; 
* This and the following altitudes are approximate only, calculated from 
boiling-point observations. 
B 2 
