VOYAGE TO THE NIGER. 625 



through brooks. The guide had committed an error; for 

 these people engage to conduct you any where, whether they 

 know the place or not. I was, consequently, several days 

 unable to move, and when we arrived, on Friday the 28th of 

 May, in the port of Santa Cruz, I could do no more than 

 cast a few glimpses on the island. The next day I resumed my 

 observations on the temperature of the sea ; but my illness, 

 which was an entire interruption of the digestive powers, 

 continued till we reached Cape de Verd Islands. 



Thursday, June 3, we were off St. Vincent. We had mis- 

 taken the small adjoining Sta. Lucia for the former, and ap- 

 proached it so closely, that we could examine the nature of 

 its shores, which gave only a prospect of wildness and 

 sterility. Sailing along the high cliffs of the western coast of 

 St. Vincent, I looked anxiously for some traces of vegetation, 

 but only distinguished, far off, a few shrubs, and it was dark 

 ere we anchored at Porto Grande. I hastened the next 

 morning early on deck, impatient to survey, for the first 

 time, an entirely tropical vegetation. The back of the bay is 

 flat and sandy, with a few cottages on the north-east side ; 

 beyond the shore rise hills overtopped in the distance by 

 mountains. I could clearly descry two main valleys, reaching 

 far inland, and exhibiting the same white sand as the beach. 

 Every place was burnt up and bare of vegetation, except a 

 few shrubs in one of the valleys, whither I directed my first 

 walk, and found these were Tamarix Senegalensis, a shrub 

 mostly 6 to 7 feet high, but sometimes a small tree, being 

 the only plant, I might almost say the only object, which 

 m these valleys affords any shadow. After a search of four 

 hours, climbing several hills and crossing as many valleys, 

 I only met with two plants, the same Tamarix, and a low 

 shrub-like Labiata, (Lavandula formosa ?) almost dried up, 

 with few leaves and some blossoms just opening. I found 

 subsequently, that this plant spreads over the whole island. 

 The Great Desert, whose horrors are so eloquently described 

 by travellers, cannot exhibit a more desolate aspect than 

 this part of St. Vincent. Yet the soil ought to be fertile, for 



