Jan.] 



SOIL AND PRODUCTIONS. 



361 



and refreshing verdure, extending back about five miles, and then rising 

 into elevated hills. The view from the vessel, in approaching this side 

 of the island, is therefore very pleasing and picturesque. 



All the hills, excepting a few of the highest, are thickly covered 

 with forests of lofty trees, flourishing with such extraordinary vigour 

 as to afford a magnificent prospect to the spectator. The large trees 

 are principally of two sorts : one of them is of the size of our large 

 firs, and grows nearly in the same manner; its foliage is an excellent 

 substitute for spruce in making that pleasant and wholesome beverage, 

 spruce-beer. The other resembles our maple, and often grows to a 

 great size ; but is only fit for ship-building or fuel, being too heavy for 

 masts or spars of any dimensions. A great variety of trees grow in 

 the valleys and on the plains, one of which bears a kind of plum, about 

 the size of a prune ; it ripens yellow, but has an unpleasant taste, 

 though eaten by most of the crew. Another tree bears flowers very 

 much like the myrtle. There also grows here a species of polyadel- 

 phus, the leaves of which we used for tea, and found them to be an 

 excellent substitute. 



The quality of the soil on this island is sufficiently indicated by the 

 uniform luxuriant growth of all its productions. Were the forests 

 cleared away, very few spots would be found that could not be con- 

 verted to excellent pasturage, or tillage land. The valleys and plains, 

 and hill-sides, and every spot where the rays of the sun can penetrate, 

 are now clothed with a strong, heavy, luxuriant grass, interspersed with 

 many natural specimens of the boundless treasures of nature's vegeta- 

 ble kingdom. This extraordinary strength of vegetation is no doubt 

 greatly assisted by the agreeable temperature of the climate, which is 

 very fine. 



Antiscorbutical plants may be procured here in great abundance. 

 Along the margins of the coves, and by the sides of all the fresh water 

 streams, the wild celery flourishes in great profusion. Scurvy-grass 

 is also seen in almost every direction. All ship-masters on long 

 voyages know the worth of these plants in cases of the scurvy. They 

 are very palatable and refreshing, whether prepared as salads or boiled 

 as greens. Besides the vegetables already mentioned, there are eu- 

 phorbia, crane's-bill, cud-weed, rushes, bind-vveed, nightshade, nettles, 

 thistles, virgin's-bower, vanelloe, French willow, flax, all-heal, knot- 

 grass, brambles, eye-bright, groundsel, and a variety of others, for 

 which I know no appellation ; and many of those already mentioned differ 

 in many respects from plant's of the same family in the United States. 



From my own observations, combined with the reports of others, I 

 must infer that this section of the animal kingdom is rather indiffer- 

 ently stocked, with the single exception of its ornithological depart- 

 ment. No quadruped has ever been seen on this island, nor even a 

 trace of any, larger than the rat. Of reptiles there are only three sorts 

 of harmless, inoffensive lizards ; and insects are quite limited in num- 

 ber and variety. The principal sorts are butterflies, dragon-flies, sand- 

 flies, grasshoppers, and scorpion-flies, which make the woods echo 

 with their chirping. There are also several sorts of spiders, and a few 

 black ants. 



