CHAP. vii. NOVEL ASPECTS OF THE VEGETATION. 173 



his shoulder, he struck the pole with the palm of Lis hand, 

 producing a sort of hollow sound ; when his companions each 

 seized his pole, and lifting it over his head, brought it down 

 upon the opposite shoulder. Sometimes all four of the 

 bearers changed at the same time, but more frequently only 

 the two who were together, either in front or behind. 



Many new forms of vegetation presented themselves 

 through this day's journey. Amongst those bordering the 

 coast, the acacia, the casuarina, and the pandanus were most 

 abundant, with occasionally a group of sago trees or a solitary 

 cocoa-nut towering above the rest. I had seen nothing, either 

 in Mauritius or Polynesia, resembling them, — especiall}^ one 

 kind seldom attaining above ten or twelve feet in height, a 

 kind of pandanus, having a number of leaves in the centre of 

 the crown, apparently glued or stuck together at their extre- 

 mities, giving to the centre or crowm a singular form ; while 

 the disentangled leaves, that stretched out horizontally or 

 hung down parallel with the stem, seemed very much like 

 the leaves with which the Chinese line their tea chests. I 

 could, however, only notice the peculiarities of this tree as we 

 passed along ; and I failed to fulfil my intention of procuring 

 seeds or leaves at some future time. Another species of pan- 

 danus was to me equally new and remarkable. The stem of 

 this was straight as that of a fir tree, and the branches hori- 

 zontal vnth. feathery tips of flag or short ribbon-formed leaves. 

 The tree was frequently forty or fifty feet high, crowned 

 with an upright plume, and at a distance might have been 

 mistaken for a larch, but for its stiff and formal growth. I 

 did not see it near the shore, but amongst the low wet places 

 inland. I had no opportunity of examining it minutely, but 

 was told it was indigenous ; it is probably Pandanus muri- 

 catiis, called at Mauritius Vacoua en pyramide. 



But the most remarkable objects on this day's journey 

 were the vast numbers of that splendid production of Mada- 



