536 FOURTH BULLETIN OF [1846. 



Goats are also abundant. 



A large land tortoise is found on the mountains, some having the weight of 

 thirty pounds. I also found a smaller kind weighing three or four pounds. Both 

 kinds were excellent as food. They belong to dilFerenl genera; tho former to 

 Testudo, the latter to Pyxis. 



The vegctabks iind animals being ptirchaspd at a low price, and fresh water 

 bfing easily obtained a short distance up tho river with little labor, has caused this 

 port to be much frequented by whalers and ships going to the East Indies when in 

 want of provisions. 



It would certainly be a great advanlnge to persons navigating the seas, and par- 

 ticularly to those engaged in the whaling trad<-, lo have thi> orange, banana, cocoa- 

 nut, pine-apple, and oilier tropical fiuils introdiici'd hero, which are so essential to 

 health in tropical climates. Those fruits no douhl would flourish here, the climate 

 and soil appearing virv propitious, and the inhabitants are disposed to cultivation. 

 It would be prcferaole to have tliism introduced from the Brazils, as the fruit of 

 tiouth America is much superior to that found on the eastern coast of Africa. 



The geological character of this vast island is yt but imperfectly known. The 

 Europeans who have resided in the interior describe the formations as principally 

 primitive, and containing ores of the nioro important metals used in the arts. Of 

 these, the most abundant are iron and copper, the ores of the former being very 

 rich and the only one of which the inhabitants have the knowledge of smelting. 

 The chffs of St. Augustin Bay are Jour or five hundred feet high, and are com- 

 posed of a secondary limestone of not very ancient date. The strata are nearly 

 liorizontal; the inferior consists of a coarse congloiuprate largely interniixod with a 

 ferruginous sand, which readily decomposes ann yields to the force of the breakers. 

 The superior strata of a tirm white finegrained limestone, which would give excel- 

 lent lime. From the terraced manner of the rocks, and their perforation by bIicIIs, 

 now several feet above high tide, it is evident that there is a gradual upheaving of 

 the land here. No trace of ore has been discovered in this part of the island, but 

 it is nrobable that coal may exist between the secondary formations here and those 

 of the primitive of liic opposite coast. 'J'he natives here manufacture spears, but 

 the iron thoy obtain principally from whale snips. 



October, 1844. — The 'Xccedingly short slay at Mozambique caused the observa- 

 tions and collections to he but few. The island of , in the harbor of 



Mozambique, is elevated about fifteen feet above high tide, and has sufficient soil in 

 some places to support large trees. The rock on which it is based is a conglome- 

 rated carbonate of limo formed of comminuted coral, madrejiore shells, &c. The 

 rock disintegrates very readily from the waves striking against the base, forming 

 large caverns, which in time become unsupported and fall in, and thus the island at 

 present is much smaller than formerly. 



Near the northern part of the island the water is very shallow, and the bultom is 

 an entire bed of coral, upon which are found several species of asteria, echina, 

 shells, and many other marine productions. 



Upon the island there grows in great abundance a species of salicarea and dios- 

 corea ; also '. o tree mentiu.ied as growing at St. Augustin Bay is also found 

 here. A small tree, native here, a si)ecics of acaccia, is planted in the city in 

 yards as a shade tree. The plant called Argemene Mexicana is growing abun- 

 dantly in the streets of the city, and no doubt was introduced by the Portuguese. 

 This plant has a very wide distriliution, being found in the United Stales, Mexico, 

 West Indies, Brazil, Africa, and India. Its medicinal properties are much ps. 

 teemed in different countries. In the West Inilies the seeds are used as a substi- 

 tute for ipecacuanha. In Brazil it is called cardo santo, and the juice is there 

 administered to persons bitten by serpents. In India it is used in ciithalmia, being 

 dropped into the eye ; and it is ai.-o used in venereal diseases. Ainsie says, it is 

 purgative and ^Ijobstruent. 



Several trees of the Ficus Indica were growing in tiie city. 



But few vegetables, &c., could be obtained her'', consisting of a few oranges, 

 bananas, cocoa-nuts, maiidioc, and cabbage, all of very inferior quality. 



A small quantity of Mocha coffee is cultivated here, for which was asked thirty 

 three ccntB per |>ouiid. I was informed that a small quantity of gold dust was 

 brought lo luarkcl hcru, aiao u «iiiall quarlity of ivory. The chief market for these 



