VALLEY OF ST. TRINIDAD. 19 



the town. The road was stony, and there was 

 nothing in the aspect of the country around to 

 relieve the eye ; a few stunted MimoscB, (occa- 

 sionally varied by a few of the same species of 

 large dimensions and great age,) some stunted 

 Zizi/phi, and a few trailing plants of Convolvulus 

 soldanella, which, by its dark green leaves and 

 purplish flowers, contrasted in a beautiful manner 

 with the sterile brown soil of the scorched plains. 

 The plantation we visited was not yet in order ; 

 it contained some flourishing coffee plants, with 

 cocoa, plantain, cashew-nut, and other tropical 

 trees ; but the principal object of my visit was to 

 view a specimen of the Adansonia digitata, or 

 monkey bread tree, and its very peculiar ap- 

 pearance and growth imparted much gratification; 

 it was about eighteen or twenty feet high, and 

 twenty-one feet in circumference. This tree was 

 in full foliage, and its bright green digitated 

 leaves imparted much animation to it. The tree 

 is surrounded to some depth by a spongy sap. 

 As subsequently at the valley I saw a much larger 

 specimen of this gigantic tree, but destitute of 

 foliage, I shall then return to its description, 

 and add a sketch. From this part of the island 

 I collected but few plants ; Momordica senegalensis 

 grew wild about the fertile parts, as well as 

 Lotus jacohcBus, Trihulus ciMoides, Asclepias, (pro- 



c 2 



