Zivarte Hoek 35 



long, while the tips of their stems are still enclosed in the fruit. Slender 

 stems of Saccharum spontaneum with other grasses and Cyperaceae 

 grow on the small cones of detritus at the foot of the rock-face in the 

 loose stones of the lowest layers between the blocks of lava which 

 cover the spurs of "Zwarte Hoek"; with these are associated 

 plants of Casuarina, bushes of Scaevola Koenif/ii, with long panicles 

 of white flowers hanging gracefully from the ends of branches above 

 the rosettes of light green leaves, Sophora tomcntosa, with bunches 

 of legumes constricted like strings of beads, De&modium iimbeUatum 

 and other strand-species of Leguminosae. Plants of Splnifex 

 squarrosus occur, and Nephrolejns cxaltata, a Polypodiaceous fern 

 with simply pinnate leaves, monopolises large areas. Graceful 

 specimens of Lycopodium cernuum grow in the shelter of the rocks, 

 and Cassytha filiformis lives parasitically on a variety of hosts both 

 at the foot of the rock-face and on the level ground. On the rocks 

 we also collected delicate seedlings and numerous prothalli of Gi/mno- 

 gra/mme and, in addition to other ferns and Lycopods, Polypodium 

 querclfolium, one of the few epiphytes in the Barringtonia forests, 

 which grows here in clefts in the rocks, as in the neighbourhood of 

 solfataras and craters of the volcanoes of Java. Other ferns among 

 those which we found on the lava and pumice boulders grow epi- 

 phytically on the forest trees of Java and Sumatra. The conditions 

 are approximately the same as in an epiphytic existence : a hard 

 and comparatively dry substratum and intense sunlight have led the 

 plants to return to a ground-habitat, and this is rendered easier by 

 the fact that the struggle for a footing on the soil is not very severe. 



The sun remained vertically above us in a cloudless sky. Its burning 

 and blinding rays on the white ground at the foot of the dark wall of 

 rock produced an oppressive heat and a dazzling glare. Our servants 

 were unable to follow us with bare feet over the hot sand and 

 stayed behind on the edge of the shore which was cooled by the waves. 

 We too were soon compelled to stop climbing over the loose blocks 

 on the steep slopes of the Zwarte Hoek (black tongue of land) pro- 

 montory, as it was impossible to bear our hands on the hot stones 

 as we scrambled up the steep slopes. Before returning to the ship 

 we rested in the partial shade afforded by a fallen boulder. The 

 bay in front of us with the small trim steamer and the vertical rock- 

 face glistening with coloured bands in the sunlight formed an im- 

 pressive scene which made us forget our trouble and fatigue. 



A third landing on the west coast of Krakatau proved im- 

 possible. We decided, therefore, to pay a short visit to one of the two 

 neighbouring islands. Lang island which lay nearest to us, with its 

 steep coast, is almost destitute of strand vegetation. Trees and 

 shrubs are sparsely scattered on the broad grass-covered surfaces of 



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