80 



foot wide, but often torn into comb-like shreds. The head is of a 

 fan-like form, and the flowers, which are not striking for their beauty, 

 are white, and produced from large, horizontal, green sheaths. The 

 foot-stalks of the leaves, which are somewhat shorter than the leaves 

 themselves, yield a copious supply of fresh water, very grateful to the 

 traveller, on having their margins cut away near to thebase, or forced 

 from contact with those immediately above them, especially those 

 about the middle of the series. The root-stock is of a soft, cellular 

 substance, and the fruit, which resembles a small Banana, is dry, and 

 not edible. This remarkable vegetable production is said to grow in 

 the most arid countries, and thus to be provided for the refreshment 

 of man in a dry and thirsty land. Probably the water may originate 

 in the condensation of dew, and be collected and retained by the pe- 

 culiar structure of the leaf: it has a slight taste of the tree, but is not 

 disagreeable. The Badamier (Terminalia Badamia), a handsome 

 tree, with large, obovate leaves, and fruit the size of an almond in its 

 husk, abounds in this direction. The spongy shell is so tough as to 

 render access difficult to its small kernel, which is like a young hazel- 

 nut in flavour. A species of cinnamon (Laurus cupularis), forms a 

 handsome bush in the borders of the woods. I also noticed a species 

 of Miinusops, forming a small tree, with a fruit the size of a nonpareil 

 apple. 



" The mango (Mangifera in die a), which was introduced into this 

 Island, had become naturalized here, along with several other fruit 

 trees, such as the apple-fruited Guava {Psidium pomiferum), and the 

 Jamrose [Jambosa vulgaris). The pineapple (Bromelia Ananas), forms 

 impassable thickets : its fruit is sold for a few pence at the bazaars. 

 Gloriosa superba, or an allied species of this beautiful plant, of the 

 lily tribe, was growing in an elevated wood, by the side of a stream- 

 let, on the borders of which Andromeda salicifolia formed a conside- 

 rable tree. Numerous species of Pandanus, or screw-pine, ferns, 

 climbers of the Convolvulus tribe, some of which were very beautiful, 

 and many other interesting plants, were also growing here." — p. 31. 



" Here we explored some portions of the forest which covers the 

 mountain territory lying toward the centre of the Island, and some of 

 w T hich is nearly 2,000 feet above the level ef the sea. Some of the 

 trees exhibit the luxuriance common to a tropical climate, and have a 

 variety of Orchideous epiphytes, ferns, Peperomias, &c, growing on 

 their trunks, while others are dead or dying, from the combined in- 

 jury of hurricanes and white ants." — p. 33. 



