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bamboo, and Arabian coffee, grow luxuriantly in the same border 

 with the apple, the peach, and the mulberry from Europe. 



The ficus indica, or banian-tree, thrives at St. Helena; still more 

 so the ficus religiosa, or pepal. The string-wood I have only 

 seen on this island; its long strings of red blossoms give this tree 

 a beautiful appearance; its drooping branches, and the thick fo- 

 liage of the standard peaches, shelter the rose linnets, which now 

 abound in St. Helena, perhaps brought from South America, where 

 their rosy bosoms form a beautiful contrast to the snowy blossoms 

 of the orange groves. This is the passerculus orientalis, a small 

 bird of delicate brown plumage, varied by rose-colour and white, 

 the eyes encircled with feathers of a bright red. They build two 

 nests, one above the other; in the largest below, the hen lays her 

 eggs, and, like the interesting baya of India, the cock watches in 

 the upper apartment, and sings to his mate during her incubation. 

 The Java sparrows are more common ; they were first brought 

 from China and Batavia for their beauty, but from their wonder- 

 ful increase, are become a great annoyance to the farmers. 



The cotton plant had not been long introduced at St. Helena; 

 with what success it may be cultivated time must determine. The 

 Gum-wood, (solidago-leucadendron,) seems the most thriving tree 

 on the St. Helena hills, it produces a resinous substance like gum- 

 benjamin. They also abound with ferns in great variety and 

 beauty, particularly the dicksonia, or tree-fern, which grows to the 

 height of twenty feet ; the seed of the furze brought from Eng- 

 land, and scattered about the hills, clothes them with beauty and 

 fragrance. 



The variety of fish daily brought to market, is a source of 



