396 THE FOREST AND THE FIELD. 



sented an extremely uninteresting and monotonous 

 aspect, consisting chiefly of mangrove swamp, and 

 marshes full of rank vegetation, occasionally varied 

 by low isolated hills covered with low bush, palm 

 groves, or clumps of cotton trees. 



The rise and fall of the tide seemed to be about 

 six feet, as w^ell as I could judge from the appear- 

 ance of the mangrove bushes growing in the 

 stream. As the tide falls, the slimy roots of these 

 trees, which are often encrusted with small oysters, 

 and the mud-banks covered with decaying vege- 

 table matter, emit a foetid exhalation most offensive 

 to the olfactories, which is not perceptible at high 

 water. 



As we passed King George's Town, we saw a 

 couple of canoes put off, and follow our boat, but 

 as the " Stella " went three miles to their one, 

 w^e had almost finished dinner before they 

 joined us. They proved to be native traders, 

 who had given chase in the hope of our doing 

 business, having some beeswax and india-rubber to 

 dispose of. Upon my telling them that I had no 

 goods to barter, and did not require their produce, 



