414 LUXURIANCE OF VEGETATION. 



Either side of the river was thickly wooded, 

 and in many parts excessively beautiful, where 

 the branches of the trees swept the water, and 

 the evergreen creepers closely matted together 

 the foliage of several trees, and mounting to 

 their tops, hung gracefully and fantastically 

 down in elegant clusters and festoons, agitated 

 by every breeze. Such is the great luxuriance 

 of nature, that each shrub or tree weakens or 

 destroys its neighbour, by its excess of pro- 

 duce, which is greater than the space will ad- 

 mit. One plant springs up to destroy its pre* 

 decessor, and is doomed to the same fate itself 

 by the growth of its successor. It appears as 

 if a war existed amongst the plants, similar to 

 that which devastates the human world, and 

 prevails even amongst brutes and insects. All 

 strive for the mastery, and the weak yields 

 to the strong, who, in his turn, is subdued by 

 a stronger. It is a curious fact that all na- 

 ture appears warring with itself; whether we 

 contemplate the sea, the earth, or the air, — 

 rational or irrational beings, all is at war with 

 its own species. Why it should be so — what 

 good or great object is gained by it, we know 

 not ; we only perceive that all are under some 



