and on the Sanserif a Na)nes bj those Regions. 335 



both very nutritious, may be considered as the proper offspring 

 of this territory, where they thrive with an uncommon vigour 

 and variety. In this country, even the unoccupied wastes have 

 a luxuriance of vegetation that renders them ahnost equally 

 impervious with the forests ; and grasses, mostly of the genus 

 Saccharum, shoot up with a prodigious luxuriance and thick- 

 ness. They generally exceed six feet in height, and often 

 reach to twice that elevation. 



The trees that are most common in this territory are of 

 the orders of Urticce, Euphorbite, Terebinthacece, Magnolice, 

 Meh'ce, Guttijem, Sapotce, Viticcs, and Eleagni, and, to-? 

 gether with the Pahnce, Bambusce and climbers, foim the 

 great features of vegetation, which are of a totally exotic ap-* 

 pearance to the European, having scarcely any thing to recall 

 the memory of his native scenery ; yet still highly pleasing, 

 not only from their novelty, but also from their beauty and 

 grandeur. Notwithstanding this great difference of general 

 appearance, several of the trees have an affinity with those of 

 Eui'ope, and the woods contain an JEsculiis, and several Qiterci 

 and Conifer i. 



The specimens which I collected during this journey were 

 transmitted to Sir Joseph Banks, in whose collection I saw 

 them in the year 1806, and there they no doubt will still be 

 found. 



Soon after my return from Chatigang, I was removed to 

 Baruipur, a station near Calcutta, where I chiefly employed 

 my leisure in describing fishes. Still, however, I continued 

 to collect whatever appeared rare for Dr. Roxburgh, especially 

 during several journeys whicli I made through the great forests 

 that occupy the islands formed by the estuaries of the Ganges. 

 These dreary woods, half inundated by the tides, antl skreened 

 by banks of offensive mud, afford but little scope to the bo- 

 tanist. The variety of vegetables which they contain is by no 

 means great ; and the danger in attempting to collect them, 

 by landing where tigers are so numerous and ravenous, is very 

 great. 



I believe, hf)wever, that in various journeys which I made 

 between Calcutta and Lukhij)ur, and from Baruipur, through 

 these woods and islands, forming part of the ancient kingdoms 

 of \'anga, Upavanga, and Angga, I had an opj)ortunity of 

 describing most of their vegetable productions. Mangroves, 

 of various kinds, including lihizophorci, Aigicci-as, Aviccnnia, 

 Hunneratia, tiudlleritiera, especially the latter, form the ))redo- 

 minant feature of these woods ; but they are ornamented with 

 curious Convolvulaccce and Apocincw, with many parasitical 



Filices, 



