210 THE NIGER EXPEDITION. [September, 



plants under our feet ; life on everything. Vasculums are filled, 

 India-rubber bags are crammed ; our sable attendant takes up the 

 load now with an audible groan, plainly intimating that he at 

 least has obtained sufficient. 



In these rambles the intense heat of a vertical sun falling in 

 these deep valleys is scarcely felt during the time ; afterwards, 

 from the profuse perspiration, a degree of lassitude prevails, ren- 

 dering the arranging and pressing of the plants collected during 

 the day, in the evening a weary occupation. I manage differently 

 now, always endeavouring to reach home before being too much 

 exhausted. Two other things are also troublesome : if plants are 

 carried long in a case in the sun, the heat causes leaves and 

 flowers to fall off; ants also have no fastidious palate, but devour 

 everything in their reach, or even where you fancy it out of it. 



Of the Botany and products of this colony, at some future 

 time I will give you a brief outline. A few notes on the British 

 plants observed at the points touched at during the voyage here 

 may not be uninteresting, as illustrative of the outlying posts of 

 some species, or cosmopolite habits. In one hour at Madeira of 

 daylight a few species only could be obtained ; the following only 

 (British and exotic) were gathered, viz. Helichrysum obconicum, 

 Sempervivum glutinosum, Coronopus didyma, Calendula pluvialis, 

 C. arvensis, C. parviflora, Cynodon dactylon, Matthiola maderensis, 

 Festuca bromoides, Carduus sp.. Antirrhinum Orontium album, 

 Galium Vaillantii, Chrysurus aureus, Fumaria officinalis, Lamium 

 annuum, Convolvulus Batatas, Plantago Lagopus, Echium fastuo- 

 sum, E. violaceum. Tragus racemosus, Polygonum aviculare, Silene 

 gallica, Mercurialis exigua, Sinapis arvensis, Torilis sp., Parie- 

 taria lusitanica, Erodium moschatum, E. cicutarium, Urtica lusi- 

 tanica, Trifolium sp., Medicago orbicularis, Tolpis nudicaulis, 

 Lycopersicum esculentum, Scandix Pecten- Veneris, Psoralea bitu- 

 minosa. 



The above were gathered almost in Funchal, on the western 

 side, betwixt the road and sea. At Teneriffe we found vegetation 

 assuming a more tropical character ; such genera as Euphorbia, 

 Kleinia, Plocama, are recognized before reaching the shore, co- 

 vering the steep barren rocks in many curious forms. The imme- 

 diate vicinity of Santa Cruz is very barren ; at the time we visited 

 it, hot and dry, well adapted for producing the Cochineal ; Opuntia 

 is therefore the principal feature. During a walk of two hours 



