282 PROFESSOR SMITH’S JOURNAL. 
probably have during the whole voyage, of examining the 
coast, I preferred to take this course, though less interest- 
ing than a walk into the thick forests. A great many 
strand-plants were growing in the gravel; some of them 
presented forms similar to those at the Cape of Good Hope, 
and detained us a great while. At last we thought it ne- 
cessary to turn back and enter the forest. Thickets of 
thorny shrubs made every step difficult, but in return every 
step was repaid by the discovery of some new plants. 
Among them were the following ; a Jasmine with large fra- 
grant flowers; pyramids of Flagellaria of a light green 
colour, covering the trees up to their tops; a Rhamnus 
covered with flowers; and several shrubs, almost all with 
fruit, and for this reason undeterminable. We tried to 
follow a path leading into the wood, and soon met with 
Mangrove trees, which sometimes rise to a considerable 
height. Here we sunk to our knees in a morass. The 
first tropical Felix was seen here. I was now obliged to 
return. ‘The whole peninsula seems to of the same struc- 
ture. The surf, opposing the current of the river, has 
thrown up a high sand-bank along the shore; above this 
bank is a vast morass, covered with mangroves. ‘The land 
at the river side is level and sandy, partly overgrown with 
lofty groups of Hyphene. The ground is covered with an 
Arundo, and an Andropogon with broad leaves. They 
were each of them about twelve feet high, but had been 
set on fire in many places. Our way led through these 
Hyphene palms, the fruit of which was hanging down 
in branched clusters. We met with some negroes, whe 
