M. SEEMANN’S JOURNAL. 19 
trade-wind, she arrived, on the 19th of November, in sight of the island 
of Assumption, passed Formosa and the Bashee groupe, and, after ex- 
periencing in the neighbourhood of the latter a series of severe gales 
from the N.N.W., reached, on the last of November (or rather on the 
lst of December, for she had lost a day), the harbour of Victoria, 
Hong-Kong. 
The island of Hong-Kong, as seen from the anchorage, appears, 
especially during the winter, the time of our visit, a barren and unin- 
viting country. Huge masses of trap, granite, and hornblende are 
piled upon each other, till they reach their highest summit in Victoria, 
a peak nearly 2,000 feet above the sea. But however unfavourable 
may be the aspect, on a closer inspection the botanist discovers a rich 
flora, full of new genera and species, although the labours of Hinds, 
Fortune, Hance, and Champion have already brought forward such 
treasures. Indeed, it is estimated that Hong-Kong, small as it is, pro- 
duces about a thousand species, and probably many more: an estimate 
which I am by no means inclined to call into question; for nearly 
every nook and valley has its peculiar vegetation, and on the whole but 
few plants, which may be called common, are to be found. True, 
Pinus Chinensis, Myrtus tomentosa, Callicarpa tomentosa, and a species 
of Pandanus are frequent, but only in the lower parts; at an elevation 
of 400 feet they disappear, and are replaced by rarer productions. 
I ascended Mount Victoria and the other peaks, explored various 
valleys, and went once to Cowloon, on the mainland, in the Chinese 
territory. At Cowloon a great portion of the vegetables—Sweet Pota- 
toes, Cabbages, Onions, Spinach, Turneps, Egg-apples—consumed in — 
Victoria, are grown ; I also observed several acres planted with Bæk- — 
meria nivea, for making grass-cloth. Botanical novelties I did not — 
obtain, but found Panax aculeatus, a species of Ficus, two Ferns, and . 
several almost dried-up specimens of Clerodendron fragrans, which grew 
abundantly on the road-sides, and were about four feet high, It is now 
universally regretted that the little peninsula of Cowloon was not se- 
lected for the British settlement, in preference to the unhealthy locality 
in which the present town of Victoria is built ; for after all the enormous 
expenses to which the Government has been subjected in order to carry 
out the great public works, drainage, canals, bridges, &c., the salubrity 
of Hong-Kong is but slightly improved, and the annual prb À 
among the whites continues to be very great. 
