iZO 



surface of the sea was firm and dry and of clayisli consistency. 

 Tiie vegetation which was dense and low, this being due to 

 the grazing, consisted of Sporobolus, which formed by far the 

 most predominant part, also of a Chloris-species and of Evolvolus 

 miicronatus Sw. crawling among the grass and some few other 

 species; on the lowest-lying part closest to the lagoon Batis was 

 commonly intermingled. Scattered on the grass-field Conocarpus 

 erecto, L. appeared as low roundish bushes at about a man's height, 

 and now and then an Opuntia was to be seen among the grass 

 (fig. 21). This belt of the vegetation belongs to the Conocarpus- 

 formation and is no doubt old, raised lagoon substratum, which 

 has gradually become too dry for the regular mangrove-plants. 



If this grass plain is passed, one reaches a short slope often 

 quite steep, a few feet high, probably produced by the erosion of 

 the sea during a hurricane, and now standing before the almost 

 bare flat, consisting of a humid, clay and sand mixed soil. I sup- 

 pose that the above described luxuriant mangrove forest lay here- 

 abouts in 1892, and no trace of it was found now, except 

 some few scattered stubs. While at that time one was met by an 

 insufferable stench from all the organic deposits between the aerial 

 roots of the mangrove, the trade-wind was now blowing fresh and 

 cool from the sea and made the stay here particularly agreable. 

 Nearest to the more elevated land grown with Sporoholus, some 

 Sesuviiim portulacastrum L. and Batis maritima L. were found, but 

 the surface soon became quite devoid of any vegetation at all; the 

 uppermost crust was to a great extent dried by the sun into a 

 mosaic (see fig. 15). Quite slightly, almost imperceptibly, the 

 ground sloped down towards the centre of the lagoon, which was 

 here covered with shallow water. Close to it a border with salt 

 shrubs, especially Sesuvimn, Batis and Salicornia arose and ex- 

 tended somewhat into the shallow water, and further out, some 

 young mangroves appeared, especially Avicerinia but also Rhizo- 

 phora. Probably the mangrove vegetation will gradually again take 

 possession of the ground. 



This flat is, as above mentioned, in the whole eastern part, or 

 perhaps further, divided from and sheltered against the sea by a 

 sand-dune with its characteristic vegetation. On the remaining 

 western part of the lagoon where the coast looks towards the south- 

 west and is thus sheltered against the trade-wind, the mangrove is 

 growing directly out to the sea. If one now goes for a row, one 



