ON THE VEGETATION OF TROPICAL WESTERN AFRICA. 17 
Letter from Mr. Cuartes Barrer, Natural History Collector to 
the Niger Expedition, addressed to Sir W. J. Ноокев, F.R.S., 
F.L.S., and communicated by him. 
[Read March 3rd, 1859.] 
Steamer Rainbow, at Sea, 
Fernando Po to Bonny, 
January 2nd, 1859. 
гв, —In a brief note by last mail I noticed the sending of some 
cases containing the greater part of my dry collections; by this I 
send five cases more, and one small cask: this will comprise all 
that I have collected, or is fit to send home at present. The con- 
tents of these cases I will not refer to here; I have given Dr. 
Baikie a list of all, which he will send to you. The only living 
plants that I have considered it prudent to send at this season 
are about 40 species of Orchids, a Cycad, and some bulbous 
plants; these, in a close box, with dry shavings, will, I trust, be 
out of the reach of frost. The remaining living plants require to 
be sent in glazed cases. I have divided these as nearly as possible, 
and filled three cases, with directions for them to be sent home in 
April; these will reach home about the 6th of May— perhaps rather 
too early, but I cannot depend on any one looking after them here. 
Duplicates of each species (about 80 in all) I have planted out in 
a small piece of fenced-off ground at the Consulate at Fernando 
Po; if this is kept clear of weeds, the plants will not suffer much 
for a year, when I hope to return and replace with them any of 
those failing which I send now. Some ferns and moist-growing 
‘plants I have placed about dripping rocks in a ravine east of the 
Cove at Clarence. 
Nearly all my dried specimens, I regret to say, have suffered much 
from damp since lying at Fernando Po: this is especially the case 
with dried fruits; and many fine specimens, brought from so far, 
I was obliged to throw away; a fine collection of cereals was in 
this way entirely destroyed. Much of this would have been saved, 
if, when we had come, everything had been removed up to the town 
on higher ground, instead of putting all into an old palm-oil shed 
on the beach; but our men were sick, and help from the shore 
could scarcely be obtained. All goes on well that can be done 
with one's own hand ; but nothing can be got out of the liberated 
African. 
Some of the plants in the cases are interesting. I notice espe- 
LINN. PROC.— BOTANY. с 
