Chap. III. BOTANY OF THE COUNTRY. 57 



spend the morning inspecting the hills and valleys 

 near the sides of the river, and then return to the 

 boat in time for breakfast. Breakfast over, I gene- 

 rally went on shore again, accompanied by my men, 

 who carried the seeds, plants or flowers we might 

 discover during our rambles. The first thing we did 

 on these occasions was to ascend the nearest hill and 

 take a survey of the windings of the river, with the 

 number of rapids, in order that we might form some 

 idea of the progress our boat would make during our 

 absence. If the rapids were numerous we knew that 

 she would progress slowly, and that we might wander 

 to a considerable distance with perfect safety ; if, on 

 the other hand, the river seemed smooth, and its bed 

 comparatively level, we were obliged to keep within 

 a short distance of the banks. 



During these rambles I met with many plants 

 growing wild on the hills, which- I had never seen 

 before, except in gardens. Here the curious and 

 much-prized Edgworthia chrysantha was growing in 

 great abundance. Reeves's Spiraea and Spircea pruni- 

 folia were found in great profusion. Several species 

 of the Chimonanthus or Japan allspice, Forsythia viri- 

 dissima, Buddlea Lindleyana, and numerous Daphnes, 

 Gardenias, and Azaleas, were also met with. Many 

 kinds of mosses and Lycopods were growing out of 

 the crevices of the moist rock ; amongst the latter, 

 and very abundant, was a fine species named Lyco- 

 podium Willdenovii. 



Amongst the trees the most common were the 

 Dryandra cor data of Thunberg, the tung-eu of the 



