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mended by the quick growth and close texture of their wood. 

 The first also supplies a well known dye-stufF; the second 

 yields a gum, not inferior to the common descriptions of Gum 

 Arabic ; whilst from the wood of the last, the most durable 

 description of shingles is made. In a ditch, about half a mile 

 from the town, I observed an Evolvulus, (No, 4 of Browne's 

 Natural History of Jamaica,) the character of which I give in 

 the subjoined note.* Along with it grew, in great profusion, 

 the Oxalis stricta, or Wood-sotTel. Farther on, in a swampy 

 piece of ground, on the left side of the road, the beautiful azure 

 flowers of the Pontederia vaginalis attracted the eye. We 

 also observed on the fences, the Convolvidus nodijlorus, which 

 being common in many districts, it is remarkable that no 

 one has noticed as a native of this Island. For some 

 distance after this, there was little to awaken our botanical 

 exertions. We met with a few straggling Fustics, {Morus 

 tinctoria); and that handsome tree [Ccescdpinia bijuga) con- 

 spicuous at a distance, by its bright golden-hued flowers, 

 backed with the deep verdure of its foliage. The Bastard 

 Cedar (Bubroma Guazuma) grows here, as everywhere else, 

 in abundance. I notice it, principally for its gi'eat utility ; 

 the berry, from the albumen it contains, affording a nutri- 

 tious substitute for corn to horses ; the bark, from possessing 

 similar vegetable principles, being applicable to the purpose 

 of clarifying the cane juice; while the wood is as extensively 

 employed for the staves of sugar-hogsheads. 



On ascending the Red Hills of St. John's, (four miles 

 from Spanish-Town,) we met with a somewhat greater variety 

 of plants. The fences and outskirts of the wood-land were 

 covered with creepers. The Coreopsis reptans hung down its 

 gaudy yellow flowers, contrasting with the profuse snowy 

 blossoms of the C/wistmas gambol, [Convolvulus polyanthos)\ 

 while the Ipomcea argentea, called by the Negroes Wild 

 Hogsmeat, was found entwined with the Eupatoi-ium ivce- 



* Evolvulns nummularitis, Linn,; (Spec. Cliai'.) leaves roundish, oval, retuse, 

 apiculated ; stem creeping, pubescent ; flowers solitary, axillary, ped uncled ; pe- 

 duncle shorter than the leaf, capillary, pubescent. 



