1812. 
DETECTION OF MINUTE PLANTS. — STORE-CHESTS. 
333 
the number of those wild plants, the roots of which are eaten by 
the natives, as a substitute for better food. There were not many 
things to be found at this season ; but I discovered, ahnost accident- 
ally, happening to sit down on the ground close by them, two small 
plants, the singularity of which consisted in their being so exactly 
of the color of the white limestone on which they grew, that scarcely 
any eye could have noticed them in walking by. * 
Experience teaches, that many curious and ?ninute plants will 
escape detection, unless sought with more than ordinary attention ; 
and that, by sitting or standing still and carefully looking around, 
many interesting objects of natural history may be discovered, which 
otherwise would have been passed unheeded and unknown. In those 
parts of my journey where the riches of botany or entomology were 
more profusely scattered, I seldom sat down to rest myself during 
my rambles, without perceiving some object which would not have 
caught my eye under any other circumstances. 
9^//. I now got out from one of the store-chests the beads and 
other things which were intended as presents to the Bachapin chief; 
as it was not likely that there would be, before we arrived at the 
town, so favorable an opportunity for assorting and arranging them 
without interruption. 
In addition to which reason for opening the store-chests at this 
place, was that of preventing the natives from knowing how large a 
stock 1 had of these things. To have allowed them to see the con- 
tents of the chests, would have been, to tempt them to rob me ; or, 
should their sense of honesty restrain them from such an attempt ; 
still the sight of so much riches might render them covetous, and 
induce them to practise every extortionate and unfair stratagem to 
of this tribe, have enabled him to present to the pubhc the most correct arrangement of it, 
which has hitherto appeared. See " Supplementum Planlarum Succulentarum ; Autore 
A. H. Haworth." 
* These were a species of Crassula P with scale-Uke imbricated leaves ; and 
Anacampseros lanigei-a, B. Catal. Geogr. 2196. Planta uncialis, tota lana densa alba 
involuta, inter quam ramenta rigida tortuosa. 
