BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 359 
into the valley of the Avon; and by following the ridge of 
_ the same hill for about a quarter of a mile to the south-west, 
another beautiful species of the same Genus was detected, 
_ having flowers like the Cape Honey bush. That is the only 
spot on which I have found the last kind; it attains from 
four to six feet in height among dense bushes; I send 
you specimens of each. The valley of the Avon lies about 
- five miles east from the top of this hill. A beautiful legumi- 
_ tus plant grows on the banks of the river, known as the native 
_ Lupine by the colonists; I think it isa purple-flowered Astra- 
. falus, the spikes of flowers are nearly a foot long, the leaflets 
| bear some resemblance to the common blue and rose Lupine, 
whence comes the name; also the Nué-tree, a species of 
- Sandal-wood ; and the Acacia, styled by the settlers Raspberry 
_ Jam, in allusion to the smell of its wood, (the natives call this — 
ee Mangart,) the wood is very valuable, I understand it has 
been sold in London at the rate of 25. 6d. per lb. : likewise the 
Acacia, called Manna by the natives, which produces a great 
Quantity of gum resembling gum-arabic in the dry season, 
ing an important article of their food: all these are com- 
mon in the valley of the Avon. The soil here in the valley 
8 generally a light sandy loam, of a reddish colour, and 
yields grass of various sorts in tufts, generally nine inches or 
à foot asunder; but the land is very unlike the meadows of 
England. It takes three acres on an average of our best land 
| to keep a sheep throughout the year ; when manured or sheep- 
| » it affords from fifteen to twenty bushels of wheat per 
acre, "There are some tracts, generally of small extent, of 
hard clay, which produce the White Gum. The Eucalyptus, 
found on the sandy loam, is called by the settlers York 
“um, by the natives Doatia, they use the bark of the root 
88 food in the dry season, chewing it along with the gum 
ef the Manna, The White-Gum forests afford an umbelli- 
ferous plant with very small tops, and with small setaceous 
aves, but it has very large tuberous roots, sometimes three 
‘four inches in diameter or more; the natives eat this root, — 
hich they call Connas it is very juicy, the juice having s — — 
