NEIGHBOURHOOD OF GIBRALTAR. 183 



villosa, Vicia atropurpurea, Scabiosa maritima; the 

 last three species in greatest number. In the lower 

 parts, and near the water-courses, are found Lythrum 

 flexuosum and Urtica membranacea. On the slopes 

 of the hill through which the road is cut are seen the 

 Ornithogalum narbonense, Cirsium syriacum, Nigella 

 hispanica, and Lavatera trimestris. In the hedges 

 the Smilax aspera and Aristolochia bcetica entwine 

 round the branches of the Crataegus, Rubus, and 

 Arundo donax, while also Convolvulus althaeoides 

 may be seen in great profusion. Midway between 

 tfce village of Campo and St. Roque is the farm, or 

 rather garden, of Mr. Francis Francia, British vice- 

 consul at St. Roque, a native of Gibraltar, who has, 

 with an industry and taste rarely found in this part of 

 Spain, laid out a very large piece of ground in a 

 flower and fruit garden where many exotics have been 

 introduced; among these the Loquat (Eriobotrya 

 japonica), and several rare varieties of the orange 

 are found to grow in great perfection.* A little 

 further on is the farm of the American consul, Mr. 

 Sprague, who is endeavouring to cultivate grapes 



* On excavating one part of this land a few years since, 

 an artificial cave was discovered, which extended a great 

 way into the body of the hill, and contained evidences of 

 its former occupation by man. A grave was also disco- 

 vered in the garden, containing several human skeletons, 

 in a very perfect state of preservation ; there were rude 

 implements, chiefly of stone, buried with them, which 

 are considered to indicate that the remains are those of 

 Phoenicians. 



