286 PROFESSOR SMITH'S JOURNAL. 



in all directions as far as the thickets and mangroves per- 

 mitted, hunting for birds, insects, and plants, we sat down 

 near the river to rest ourselves. The strand, being now 

 broader and more accessible in consequence of the ebb, 

 we had an opportunity of discovering many new and in- 

 teresting objects. The evening was approaching when 

 we gave the signal for our returning on board. 



July 15. I was fully occupied all the day in laying 

 plants in paper, having ver>' litde time for examination. 

 I have already got three or four new genera, and two- 

 thirds, I conceive, of all the plants that have been col- 

 lected will probably turn out to be new species. The 

 collection of birds and insects is small. .Some of the 

 gentlemen are again on shore for a short time. 



July 16. We went into the boats on another excursion. 

 Having passed along the shore up to Sherwood's Creek and 

 entered several of the innumerable small inlets, we pro- 

 ceeded nearly to Alligator's Creek, and then returned 

 with the current. The river-side promises us a large 

 collection of plants, the vegetation being so luxuriant, 

 that there are only a few places where a landing may be 

 effected, either where the negroes coming down the river 

 in their canoes encamp during the night, or where there 

 lately has been fire in consequence of their encampment. 

 The high thickets growing near the water consist chiefly of 

 Fterocarpiis, Convolvulus, a new species of Hibiscus, related 

 to tiliaceus, with scattered red and yellow flowers, Fanda- 

 nus candelabrum (a little farther up) an Eugenia, coA-ered 

 with flowers, and a vast number of shrubs and trees round 



