CHARACTER OF THE SCENERY. 287 



that the number of plants now found on the island 

 is 746, and that out of these fifty-two alone are in- 

 digenous species, the rest having been imported, 

 and most of them from England, we see the rea- 

 son of the British character of the vegetation. 

 Many of these English plants appear to flourish 

 better than in their native country ; some also 

 from the opposite quarter of Australia succeed re- 

 markably well. The many imported species must 

 have destroyed some of the native kinds, and it is 

 only on the highest and steepest ridges that the in- 

 digenous Flora is now predominant. 



The English, or, rather, Welsh character of the 

 scenery is kept up by the numerous cottages and 

 small white houses, some buried at the bottom of 

 the deepest valleys, and others mounted on the 

 crests of the lofty hills. Some of the views are 

 striking ; for instance, that from near Sir W. Dove- 

 ton's house, where the bold peak called Lot is 

 seen over a dark wood of firs, the whole being 

 backed by the red water-worn mountains of the 

 southern coast. On viewing the island from an 

 eminence, the first circumstance which strikes one 

 is the number of the roads and forts : the labour 

 bestowed on the public works, if one forgets its 

 character as a prison, seems out of all proportion 

 to its extent or value. There is so little level or 

 useful land, that it seems surprising how so many 

 people, about 5000, can subsist here. The lower 

 orders, or the emancipated slaves, are, I believe, 

 extremely poor : they complain of the want of 

 work. From the reduction in the number of pub- 

 lic sei'vants, owing to the island having been given 

 up by the East India Company, and the consequent 

 emigration of many of the richer people, the pov- 

 erty probably will increase. The chief food of the 

 working^ class is rice, with a little salt meat : as 



