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running west- northwest from Cedar Bridge toward Buddstown, for 

 about two and one-half miles to where that road is crossed by a 

 north and south road, and following this for half or two thirds of 

 a mile south. 



The region is a most remarkable one, which cannot fail to im- 

 press every visitor with a sense of loneliness and sterility. It 

 forms part of the water- shed or divide between the streams flow- 

 ing into the Atlantic and those discharging into the Delaware river. 

 Locally it is known as the ** West Plains," but these so-called 

 *' plains *' are long undulating swells of sand, sometimes rising to 

 a height commanding extensive views in every direction over a 

 desert of sand so sterile that even the trees of Pimis rigida, which 

 sparsely clothe it, can attain only to the height of three or four feet 

 No sign of human life is visible, and one could readily imagine 

 himself in the midst of a vast wilderness. Its height above the 

 ocean is between 150 and 200 feet, according to the Geological 

 Survey. The region is bisected by the north and south road I have 

 mentioned, by the side of which the usual low matted patches of 

 the Corenia appear. But on leaving the road to examine the ex- 

 tent of its distribution we became amazed at the expanse of tern- 

 tory more or less covered by it. We followed over the rising 

 swells of ground already alluded to. both to the east and west of 

 the road to the extent of at least half a mile each way, and for a 

 like distance in the opposite direction, without entirely losing sight 



of the Corcma^ and we probably did not reach its limits. To say 

 that there are hundreds of acres of it is a statement which my 

 companions thought to be far short of the truth. In some places 

 the patches were separated by intervals of some rods, but oftener 

 scores of them were seen at once, and in many places they became 

 confluent in large masses, reminding one of the appearance of the 

 plant at Plymouth, Mass. Besides the thinly scattered stunted 

 pines, Uttle shrubbery was seen other than occasional very small 

 specimens of Querctis ilicifolia, but the sandy spaces were often 

 partially covered with Arctostaphylos Uva-tirsi, and the whole 

 region reminded one of the downs of the interior of Nantucket, 

 where the Arctostaphylos Is so very abundant. Occasional carpets 

 of Pyxidanthcra were near, but rarely with the Corcma. Though 

 our visit was made before April had expired, the unusually ad- 



