Foreign Notices : — West Indies. 235 



entirely of Cocos nucifera and oreodoxas. The former has a stem from 10 ft. 

 to 15 ft. in height, about 6 in. in diameter, and a beautiful, large, but always 

 yellowish-looking, head. The oreodoxas, on the contrary, with disproportion- 

 ately strong stems, attain the height of 40 ft., and have, according to the 

 thickness of their trunks, a small, but beautiful green, head. In the neigh- 

 bourhood of the Camina river, where the soil is black and of a clayey nature, 

 I saw oreodoxas which, at a moderate computation, were 70 ft. in height. 

 They are generally upright, and the cocos almost always in an angle with the 

 level of the soil. The Musa sapientum and paradisiaca, planted between 

 the rows of coffee, have not a very agreeable appearance. The leaves hang 

 down from the trees in a half-withered state, and those that are fresh are 

 tattered and torn by the wind, as if it had been done with some particular 

 intention. If the fruit has been taken from the stem, ripe or unripe, it is cut 

 down, and left to lie there till destroyed by the weather. When the palms 

 are suffered to grow in their natural state, they certainly look extremely well, 

 because they are as seldom attacked by insects as the coffee ; but the yellow 

 spots on the leaves, which so much disfigure our palms at home, are also seen 

 here. On the sea shore, and particularly in the bays, are an amazing number 

 of Rhizophora Mangle and Psidium pyriferum (guajava), from which an 

 excellent jelly is made; also the Magnolia, but whether obcordata or rotundi- 

 folia, I am not certain. Several banks in the sea near Matanzas are entirely 

 covered with mangle, and I saw it very near the time of flowering. I also 

 found a small zamia, but could only secure a few of its leaves, as the plant 

 had its roots interwoven among stones, and I could not uproot one with all my 

 unwearied efforts. Ferns, such as ^diantum formosum, A. assimile, .Blechnum 

 occidentale, several polypodiums, Aspidium, and Pteris, cover the rocks and 

 stems of trees in the thickest forests. Pothos is seen twisting itself to the tops of 

 the highest trees, and only Pothos crassinervius takes up its abode generally on 

 the stems of old felled trees. Vanilla (sativa ?) extends itself from one tree 

 to another, hangs down and winds about the underwood, and then ascends 

 other trees. I did not find it in flower in January and February, as stated by 

 Morrens, and must console myself with the assertion of Swarz, that it flowers 

 in July, and have patience till then. Although our excursion gave us so much 

 pleasure, and although in various places we only found the same genera and 

 species, yet in this thinly peopled and uncultivated country it is natural to 

 suppose that we met with difficulties, and sometimes even with sad misfortunes. 

 During an excursion on the 12th of February, from Fundador to the interior, 

 we ascended a high plateau on which we only found two species of fan palms. 

 One had small round leaves, silver white underneath, a short stalk, and 

 covered with a fine cottony texture ; the stem from 1 ft. to 20 ft. in height, with 

 a small head. The other resembled a Corypha, had large yellowish leaves, 

 the stalks longer, the highest with a stem 6 ft. high, and already done flower- 

 ing. The stem of the former was 20 ft. in height, and 3 ft. in diameter. We 

 determined on carrying off specimens of these palms, and also to make draw- 

 ings of them, and with great difficulty we made our way back over the plateau, 

 but without having attained the object in view ; as we were no sooner roused 

 from our bivouac than we had but one desire, that of returning to Fundador. 

 The rain fell in such torrents, that a duration of forty days would not have 

 been necessary to give rise to the wish for Noah's ark. There are no inns 

 on the roads, and in many places no roads at all, and the nearest plantation 

 we knew was farther off than Fundador. The water soon reached the horse's 

 middle, and, from the colour of the clay, looked almost as red as blood, and 

 became like a raging mountain stream, rushing against us. After twenty- 

 seven hours' ride, we at last arrived at Fundador, but without the specimens 

 and drawings of the palms ; and even the greater part of the collection we had 

 made on the excursion to the plateau was destroyed, and our cloaks and other 

 parts of our dress could only be used again on a similar undertaking, which, 

 notwithstanding our enthusiastic love of plants, we had not the courage to 

 wish to repeat. 



