149 
and there thickly grown with Stenochlaena palustris Bedd. but 
as we advance to the interior the ground gets barer and it 
becomes easier to walk through the forest. The soil here con- 
sists mainly of the remnants of the ash-layers that came down 
after the eruption, guttered everywhere with shallow runnels 
scooped out by rain-water. In all sorts of places under the trees 
there are associations of various smaller plants, among which 
there is of course the generally prevalent Nephrolepis hirsutula Pr., 
besides Alocasia spec., Commelina auriculata Bl., Hypaestes spec., 
Cyathula prostrata (L.) Bl.; in a few places the trees are entirely 
overgrown with a variety of Piper, P. retrofractum Vahl. Also 
Asplenium Nidus L. is very abundant in some places, either on 
the ground or the lower part of the trunk, though it seldom | 
grows higher up the trees. 
After we had reached the first rising of the ground we found 
our way to the top of the bay. The forest continued of the 
same type throughout until we had once more reached the 
thickly grown margin. Dotted about the wood there gvere occa- 
sional open spaces with a boggy soil towards which led numerous 
water courses now run dry and where the foot prints of the 
cattle dented the mud. This marsh was almost completely hid- 
den by rather low plants above which there rose occasional 
bushes of Leea aequata L, Various Graminaceae and Cyperaceae 
covered the moist ground amid a luxuriant growth of: Jussieua 
angustifolia Lamk., and Eclipta alba Hassk., a herb which is 
not a real marsh-plant but was found all over this part. Round 
about these open spaces there were wildernesses of a large kind 
of Alocasia. Suchlike spots we came across all along our way, 
until we had struck the mangrove border again, and were car- 
ried back to the ship in the motor-boat. 
April 24th, The rainwater pouring down on the mountains . 
flows to the sea along the ravines thus forming little water- 
channels, mostly dry when it is not raining, except, if they 
drain a marshy place. The mouths usually contain sea-water 
which rises and falls with the tides. Oné of the biggest water- 
courses is close to the landing-place, so a short trip was taken 
sd ‘ ° 
es 
2 
. 
