342 BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 



mixed with decomposed particles of rocks, seemed very fer- 

 tile. This was proved by the luxuriant growth of grasses 

 along the hills, some species attaining a height of 4 or 5 

 feet, through which it was difficult to walk without follow- 

 ing the footpaths of the natives, who live here in small 

 parties scattered along the base of these hills, and depending 

 chiefly or almost entirely on the produce of the soil. Although 

 there was no scarcity of game in the neighbouring plains, 

 the people had not the means of shooting it. We met 

 them often on our excursions towards the precipices, on the 

 tops of the hills, engaged in hunting the rock-rabbit and the 

 rock-hare, which were plentiful, and which are driven out of 

 their concealment amongst the fissures of rocks by little 

 dogs, which enter those narrow places, when they are killed 

 with clubs by the men. The rainy season, in this part of 

 the country, was already over, vegetation was drying up 

 rapidly, and the addition to our botanical collections, there- 

 fore, bore little comparison to the time we were obliged to 

 spend here, and the many rambles we made in every direc- 

 tion through this part of the country. The only things of 

 note we found in flower were a little Indigo/era, n. 481, with 

 a procumbent habit, on the edges of precipices on the rocks, 

 exposed to the burning rays of the sun ; in more shady 

 places, sheltered by rocks, amongst a turf of grasses, grew the 

 Thysantha, n. 645, Tetraphyle, n. 646, and Petrogeton, n.650, 

 all belonging to the Order Crassulaceee. The Alepidea Ama- 

 tymbica, Galium Thunbergianum ? n.77l, Lastrea, n. 1863, at 

 the same locality with the former. Along the flank of these 

 hills, amongst large detached masses of rocks, together with 

 some twining sorts of Asparagus and several kinds of Rhus, I 

 observed the climbing Helinus ovatus, E. M. n. 317 (fVillemitia 

 scandens, E. and Z.), flowering, together with Pilogyne, 

 n. 596, and forming a clustered mass, through which it was 

 scarcely possible to proceed. I had a proof of this one day 

 when returning homewards from an excursion late in the 

 afternoon, over the plains of the table-topped hills. I had 

 shot, about sunset, a wild dog (Lycam ypicus), which I 



