FRUITS. 181 



not seen anywhere else, like a large laburnum ; 

 and I also saw there a huge aloe with a stem 

 more than six feet high and twenty inches round 

 the widest part. 



The character of the vegetation seems to change 

 very much when approaching Poulana, many new 

 trees and plants being seen, one very noticeable 

 instance being a large handsome " spiky "-look- 

 ing tree, with dark green leaves and small green- 

 ish-white flowers smelling strongly of vanille, 

 and bearing a very delicious juicy fruit resem- 

 bling a large crimson plum. The familiar plants 

 of Mashequene become more and more scarce ; 

 but I expect plants are almost as local as some 

 species of butterflies, which haunt one particular 

 spot, and are always to be found there. 



