2«2 PROFESSOR SMITH'S JOURNAL. 



probably have during the whole voyage, of examining the 

 coast, I preferred to take this course, though less interest- 

 ins than a walk into tlie thick forests. A great many 

 strand-plants were growing in the gravel ; some of them 

 presented forms similar to those at the Cape of Good Hope, 

 and detained us a great while. At last we thought it ne- 

 cessary to turn back and enter the forest. Thickets of 

 thorny shrubs made every step difficult, but in return every 

 step Avas repaid by the discovery of some new plants. 

 Among them were the following ; a Jasmine with large fra- 

 grant flowers; pyramids of Flagellaria of a light green 

 colour, covering the trees up to their tops ; a l\/ia»niiis 

 covered with flowers ; and several shrubs, almost all with 

 fruit, and for this reason undeterminable. We tried to 

 follow a path leading into the wood, and soon met with 

 Mancrove trees, which sometimes rise to a considerable 

 height. Here we sunk to our knees in a morass. The 

 first tropical Feliv was seen here. I w^as now obliged to 

 return. The whole peninsula seems to of the same struc- 

 ture. The surf, opposing the current of the river, has 

 thrown up a high sand-bank along the shore ; above this 

 bank is a vast morass, covered with mangroves. The land 

 at the river side is level and sandy, parti}- overgrown with 

 lofty groups of Hypluvne. The ground is covered with an 

 Ariaulo, and an Andropogon Avith broad leaves. The}' 

 were each of them about twelve feet high, but had been 

 set on fire in many places. Our way led through these 

 Fli/pha^ne palms, the iruit of which was hanging down 

 in branched clusters. ^Ve met with some negroes, who 



