VOL. XVII.] PHILOSOPHICAL TEANSACTIONS. 521 



paerou or cajan-tree, an arborescent phaseolus or laburnum, much cultivated at 

 the Cape, affording a most refreshing pulse to the seamen. Mandsjadi, with 

 the seed of which they weigh pearls. Niir-pongelion, whose long trumpet 

 flower resembles that of dutroy ; parrots are said to be much delighted with the 

 fruit, and the Indians make nets of the boughs and root. Isora murri with its 

 conical pod, wreathed spirally. Here are also many sorts of candle-trees, some 

 of which are a kin to the mangrove of America. The hina-pareti, or rosa 

 sinensis, with many other elegant alceas and althaeas. The moringa, with 

 several curious acacias and coluteas. Many of the rest may be referred to 

 Clusius's exotic lobes and fruits, which this volume much illustrates, and the 

 latter part exhibits some Indian jasmines, and large capers, belonging rather to 

 the bacciferous tome, 



n 



A Treatise on the Roman Ports and Forts in Kent. By William Somner, &c. 

 To whick is prefixed the Life of Mr. Somner. Oxford, Qvo. 1963. N° 198. 

 p. 688. ' 



The author begins with Rutupium, and places it at Sandwich, making Rich- 

 borough castle a pharus to guide the seamen into the harbour ; and makes 

 Gessoriacum, more anciently Portus Iccius, to be Boulogne ; which Rutupium 

 he says was then, and sometime after, called Ludenwich, at which place he 

 affirms Caesar first landed ; though the author of the life allows of Mr. Halley's 

 account, published in a late Transaction. As to the Goodwin Sands, he denies 

 them ever to have been firm land ; they are more soft, fluid, and porous, and 

 yet tenacious, and consequently more voracious than other sands, which are 

 firmer. Since they are not mentioned by any writers of great antiquity, he 

 believes they may have been caused by the great inundation in Flanders about 

 William the Second's or Henry the First's time ; the recess of which water 

 from these places probably left the Goodwin Sands shallower than formerly. 



Next our author speaks of Dubris, now Dover: to omit his derivation of 

 the name, he observes it was a Roman port, and has all along so continued. 

 Boulogne on the French coast, and Rutupium on the British, being in time 

 supplanted, the one first by Witsand, and at last by Calais, the other by Dover, 

 at which place our author makes Caesar to have first attempted to land : the 

 fortification of the place in those days was more from nature than art. The 

 rock being cut into such indentures, as resembled and were instead of walls 

 with battlements, which tirne has now worn away. Proceeding to the port of 

 Lemanis, which he makes new Romney, so called from being the Romans' port ; 

 and which although for some centuries it has lain dry, yet had formerly a fair 

 and commodious river running by it and emptying itself into the sea, much 



VOL.^II. 3 X 



