PROFESSOR SMITHS JOURNAL. 277 



prised me to find diis last growing in low and inundated 

 places. Various shrubs of Hibiscus with flowers in bunches, 

 and growing near the water ; a Papilionaceous plant with 

 ripe pods, and thick groups of Mangrove were successively 

 met with. The palms are probably the Hyphcene, with large 

 frondes. A creeping Jasmine (the same I found at St. 

 Jago,) was also discovered. The forest consists of a tree 

 resembling Ccesalpinia, but I could not approach near 

 enough to be able to examine it. Most of the plants here 

 mentioned are commonly called South American, but 

 they have probably been carried thither from Africa along 

 with the negroes. The Hifphcene and Ci/perus papyrus are 

 the same as those of Egypt. I found those parts of the 

 ground the most accessible, which had been set on fire by 

 negroes. Near the Point a great quantity offish was hang- 

 ing exposed to the air to be dried, but no huts were any 

 where to be seen, nor did any women appear, which shows 

 that their habitations must be situated at some distance 

 in the forest. 



The current carried us back in a few moments. The 

 large turtle was exchanged for a pair of knives, worth about 

 one shilling. Almost all the negroes who came on board 

 our ship are Christians. One of them is even a Catholic 

 priest, ordained by the Capuchin monks at Loando. 

 Thej^ Avere baptized by these monks two years ago at St. 

 Antonio, situated seven days journey from hence. The 

 monks have given to the priest a diploma. This bare- 

 footed black apostle, however, had no fewer than five 

 wives, the nundjer of whom is always in proportion to 



