BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 28 
thermometer was not below 709. At Twickenham Park, 
Mr. Finlay, a gentleman to whom I am indebted for much 
personal kindness, as well as his kind endeavours to forward 
my views in the interior mountains, extended to me his 
wonted hospitality. 
Saturday, 12th August.—This not being a working-day 
with the negroes, I was compelled to put off my visit to the 
Lagoons till Monday; so, after arranging my specimens, I 
started to the Caymanas, a fine sugar estate, situated on the 
margin of the Lagoons. This rich and beautiful spot forms 
a striking contrast with the arid plains bounding it to the 
south, and probably owes its luxuriance to the great moisture 
below, for about three yards digging is sufficiently deep to 
obtain an excellent spring of water. At Taylor’s Caymanas 
I was kindly received by Mr. Dundas, who obligingly offered 
me the use of his boat, to traverse the Lagoons. 
Monday, 14th August.—After breakfast (the most prudent 
time to traverse these Lagoons) I started, taking with me 
three negroes, armed with long bamboos, the intersecting 
ditches being too narrow for the use of oars. This part of 
the Lagoon is about 4000 acres in extent, and incapable, in 
its present state, of cultivation, for it is closely cut up in all 
directions with a net-work of ditches, about 10 feet wide, 
which are cleared out annually to take off the surplus water, 
otherwise the estates would soon be inundated. The whole of, 
these Lagoons are covered with one continued field of Typha 
latifolia, and bounded on the north, east, and west by rocky 
hills, some 500 feet high. The Lagoon is but a few feet above. 
the sea: we found the boat anchored, and although there 
was abundance of water, in some places 30 feet deep, we 
experienced a difficulty in moving through the dense mass of 
vegetation and the spongy bottom which we had no means or 
inclination to fathom. Nymphea Lotus was abundant, also 
Sagittaria lancifolia, a very showy species, its delicate white 
flowers contrasting beautifully with the dark green foliage of 
the Typha latifolia, Alisma cordifolia was also very abundant; 
two Ipomeas, with a large Amaranthaceous plant, used as 
