lO VOYAGE IN SEARCH 



fortable quarters, and traverfed the furround- 

 ing fand-hills. I obferved, in feveral places 

 which appeared to have fallen in recently, that 

 fome of thefe heaps of fand refted on a hard 

 iteatites of a dark-gray colour, and others an 

 free-ftone. I alfo remarked, fhortly after, on 

 the edge of the beach, that a very large rock, 

 which flood out in the fea, at no great diftancc 

 from the coall, exhibited in all its points the 

 fame fpecies of fteatites : this rock was very 

 high, and was perforated at one of its extremi- 

 ties. 



The fwell had detached, from the bottom of 

 the fea, the fpunge called fpongia cancellata^ 

 which we faw thrown up in great quantities on 

 the beach. 



In the middle of thefe fand-hills grew a new 

 fpecies of plantain, which I call planlago tricu- 

 fpidata, on account of the Ihape of its leaves : 

 it is to be claffed among the moft ufeful plants 

 that this country furni flies for the fuftenance of 

 man. The hope of finding fome vegetables, 

 fit to eat as a fallad, had determined the moft 

 provident among us to bring the ingredients 

 neceffary for drefling that dilh : the leaves of 

 this plantain were very tender, and the fallad 

 which they afforded us was much relifhed by all 

 our party. 



Various graffes, among which I remarked 



feveral 



