BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 597 
Bay, with its little village, hidden in an immense grove of 
Cocoa-nut trees, I am told the largest in the Island, which 
forms a belt round the Bay a quarter of a mile wide and 
about three miles in length. In my way down to the sea I 
found Solanum crassifolium, with several curious maritime 
shrubs, on rocks which are of coral formation and are ex- 
ceedingly sharp, rendering walking somewhat difficult. 
Nymphea blanda grew abundantly in the Lagoons, which are 
not extensive, producing its chaste white flowers, which, 
although small, are conspicuous. The Lagoons abound 
with Alligators, which are not, however, very trouble- 
some to the inhabitants. A poor man had, two days 
previously, accidentally fallen in, and was found with an 
Alligator floating above him, and partly devoured. They are 
very dull and sleepy-looking animals, and, I believe, were 
never known to attack a living person. The coast is here 
rocky; the sea running high, with a strong breeze from the 
East, rendered the air cool and pleasant. Two species of 
Ipomea were showy, growing in the sand, and I secured seeds 
of them. As evening approached we returned to Wheelers- 
field, and found a draught of Cocoa-nut water, with a little 
brandy added, a very grateful beverage. 
Wednesday, 12th.—The morning was dull and cool, ther- 
mometer 76°, After an early breakfast, we started for John 
Crow Hill, about five miles distant, riding part of the way to 
the junction of the wood with the cultivated land; we then 
left our horses, and took our way up the hill, through a dense 
wood, where Oncidium altissimum was abundant, bearing 
wreaths of flowers ten feet long, also O. £riquetrum, blossoming 
sparingly; Andiara inermis holding a conspicuous place in 
these woods; a large tree of Xanthozylon Clava-Herculis, with 
its horrid-looking stem, and full of seeds, induced me to 
undergo considerable labour in order to cut it down; I how- 
ever procured abundance of seeds. Here, for the first time, I 
noticed Anona montana and its curious echinate fruit, of which 
I obtained seeds. Malpighia urens, a pretty shrub, was plen- 
tiful, laden with scarlet fruit. While gathering specimens, I 
