ST. VINCENT, CAPE VERDE ISLANDS. 43 



which at about half a mile from shore is a group of half a dozen 

 small trees. These are a Tamarind (Tamarindus indica), some 

 thorny acacias (A. cdbida), and Terminalis catappa. They stand 

 in an old enclosure in front of the ruins of a house, and are 

 green and nourishing, and show that much might be done by 

 cultivation, even for St. Vincent. 



From a statement in Horsburg's Directory, in the description 

 of St. Vincent, that " as much wood may be cut here in a short 

 time as can be stowed away," I was led to suppose that possibly 

 in old times there was much more vegetation in the island and 

 hence more rain, and that the trees had been destroyed as at San 

 Jago, according to Darwin,* but I find that in accounts of the 

 island published in 1676, t the vegetation is described as having 

 almost exactly the same appearance and range as at the present 

 day. The firewood is mentioned, but described as a bush, 

 evidently the tamarisk, and said to be scanty and very bad. 

 The island is described as being as barren as it is now. 



The plains I found covered all over with the spiny fruit of a 

 small creeping plant (Trihidus cistoides). Almost the only plants 

 retaining any living and green leaves were the lavenders, on the 

 bushes of which w T ere to be found here and there a green sprout 

 put forth apparently in anticipation of the wet season. Many 

 of the plants were so chip dry, that I had to gather specimens 

 in boxes, as they would not stand pressing. 



The plains were covered with grass seeds. The island is said 

 to become green as if by magic after rain, and at St. Jago, where 

 the rain had been earlier, the plains at about 500 feet elevation 

 were covered at the time of our visit with a bright green coat of 

 seedlings ; but a day's moderate rain which occurred on July 

 30th at St. Vincent had not produced any visible effect by 

 August 5th, the day on which we sailed. The bottoms of the 

 valleys and hill-slopes to the southward, are covered with a dry 

 hay-like grass ; but the goats and cattle kept in this part of the 

 island were dying in numbers from starvation. 



On June 30th, I made an excursion with a small party, up 



* "Journal of Eesearches." London, J. Murray, 1845, p. 2. 

 t Dapper's "Africa." Amsterdam, 1676. "Eilanden van Africa," 

 p. & 



}3. 



