86 VOYAGE IN SEARCH 



valley which feparates it from Lion Mountain, 

 is adorned with the beautiful fpecies of protect. 

 with lilvery leaves (protea argmtea, Linn.1, the 

 bufhy tops of which refift the winds that oc- 

 cafionally come down with violence from the 

 fummit of thefe mountains. The leaves of 

 thefe trees are covered with a down, which is 

 the thicker as they are expofed to the action of 

 the air. The fame thing is remarked in almoft 

 all plants buffetted by the winds ; whence it is 

 prefumable that this down ferves to fecure them 

 from the damage they might thence receive. 



Here was no longer the fterility of Lion 

 Mountain ; vegetable product ions prefentcd them- 

 felves in abundance. The tulip of the Cape 

 (h<cmanthus coccineus, Linn.) bedecked the moft 

 gradual flopes : a great variety of fpecies of cricc 

 ifTucd from the clefts of the ftcep rocks; and 

 the pretty compound flower known by the name 

 of Jlxbe gnaphahides, grew with fcvcral other 

 plants towards their bafc. 



Being obliged to employ a good deal of time 

 in the prefervation of the plants which I had 

 collected the day before, I was not able to 

 undertake a long excursion on the 24th ; I 

 therefore contented myfelf with ftrolling about 

 the environs of the town. 



The luftard aloe, known under the denomi- 

 nation of agave vivipara, was Hill in full flower. 



J admired 



