220 NATTTEAL HISTOKY SKETCHES. 



graceful pine and silvery birch, which add so much to 

 the beauty of tbe northern forests. The ash, the beech, 

 and the elm, which give so softened an appearance to the 

 woodlands of England, and the leafy palm, the stately 

 date, and other light feathery trees that grace the 

 tropical landscape, are strangers here. 



As Prichard observes, " Here we do not find in the 

 great masses of vegetation either the majesty of the 

 virgin forests of America, the variety and elegance of 

 those of Asia, or the delicacy and freshness of the woods 

 of our temperate climate of Europe." 



The vegetation is gloomy and sad. It has the aspect 

 of our evergreens or heathers. The plants are for the 

 most part woody; the leaves of nearly all are linear, 

 lanceolated, small, coriaceous, and spinescent. The 

 grasses, which elsewhere are generally soft and flexible, 

 participate in the stiffness of the other vegetables. The 

 greater part of the plants of New Holland belong to new 

 genera, and those included in the genera already known 

 are of new species. The native families which prevail 

 are those of the heaths, the protso composite, leguminosae, 

 and rnyrthidese ; the larger trees all belong to the last 

 family. 



Some of the trees, however, are very pretty, especially 

 the cherry, the box, and the wattle. The cherry rather 

 reminded me of the yew at home, with its dark sombre 

 foliage ; and I have at times fancied a resemblance 

 between some of the old gum-trees, with their gnarled 

 and twisted branches, and the brave old oak of happy 



