22 BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 
a pinnated one at so great a height, and woven into such a 
dense mass from the various creepers, among which Mare- 
graavia umbellata and Mimosa scandens, with its large sword- 
shaped legumes, are peculiarly conspicuous, their cable-like 
stems rendering it almost impracticable to fell trees, to obtain 
specimens. 
Having made arrangements to visit the lagoons behind the 
Ferry, in hopes of finding the Nelumbium Jamaicense of 
Brown, I returned after taking some refreshment at Re- 
treat, the overseer of which, Mr. Ingram had kindly accom- 
panied me to the woods. My mules meanwhile made the most 
of the time, exercising their digestive organs in a fine field of 
Guinea-grass. The introduction of this luxuriant and excel- 
lent grass has been a great boon to the Island. The native 
Gramineæ of Jamaica are coarse and generally rejected by cattle, 
at least when Guinea-grass can be obtained. Here, occurred 
two species of Melastoma, this tribe of plants consisting 
for the most part of handsome shrubs, appears confined to 
the lower mountains, altogether disappearing in the arid 
plains. The church at Guanaboa is a neat and elegant 
building, agreeably situated on a gentle undulation, com- 
manding a view of a rich and well-settled valley where the 
negro houses seemed much more commodious than any 
I had seen. "These for the most part, contained three apart- 
ments, with a well cultivated garden, while the usual negro 
huts have but one very small room; the door, as I said 
before, serving for a chimney, with the fire in the middle of : 
the floor. They are a cheerful race of people and are very 
fond of singing, which to my earis somewhat discordant. 
Proceeding towards Spanish Town, it soon became dark. 1 
however secured a quantity of growing plants of Pistia Stra- 
tiotes, that I had observed the previous day. The whole of 
the lower part of St. John’s Parish is destitute of springs, so - 
that the inhabitants are dependent on rain to fill their tanks, - 
which are open and ill adapted for the purpose. It was - 
about ten o'clock at night before I got to Spanish Town and 
found the night air of the plains very cold, although the a 
