34 JOURNAL OF THE 
about six months ago. The inhabitants allege the destruc- 
tion of the slave factories as the cause. 
The rainy season had now fairly set in, and my cabin being 
so damp that I could not dry either plants or paper, to form 
a collection became impossible, and I carried away but a few 
single specimens. 
Near Monrovia, is a Kroo town ; whence fishermen, in their 
small canoes and with angling lines, came paddling about our - 
ship. Except a slight covering on the head, they were quite 
naked: in warm weather, this was probably the fittest 
attire for them. 
. Towards the evening of Tuesday, July 6th, we left Mon- 
rovia, and until Thursday evening, were in tow of the Albert. 
We then proceeded, by ourselves, to Grand Bassa, where we 
anchored on Friday morning, for the purpose of taking in 
fuel. We stayed several days; not one of which passed 
without rain, sometimes most violent throughout the entire 
day. This, and other circumstances, limited my researches to 
the immediate vicinity of the shore; where, however, I found 
more plants than I was able to preserve. I made a collection 
of about a hundred specimens, at the risk of losing every- 
thing by the wet. Many plants, especially the Monocotyle- 
done, were not yet in flower; and I regretted this most 
especially in the case of the numerous parasitical Orchidee. 
The shore is flat and sandy; and the sand has drifted so far 
inland, that I never got beyond it. There were no forests, 
only bushes, intermingled with isolated high trees ; which 1 
could not determine, for they were all without blossom oF 
fruit. The African Bombax appeared amongst them, and 
the same Spondias as at Sierra Leone, forming a con- — 
siderable tree; respecting which I feel doubtful whether it be 
identical with S. Myrobalanus. The pride of this coast is the 
Elais, often growing in clumps of twelve or more, exhibiting - 
under different circumstances a. different habit, and giving ? — 
considerable variety of aspect to the country. This Palm is 
of generally moderate height, and constitutes with various - 
Fici, the chief masses of wood. The underwood consists of 4 
