302 TRAVELS IN 
Among the useful trees of the forests, we noticed a species 
of wild fig, that grew to a very considerable size, and bore a 
fruit resembling in shape and appearance the Bergamot pear. 
It had a pleasant subacid flavor, and was greedily devoured 
by the birds. 'The leaves were oblong-ovate. A species of 
Salvia, or sage, grew wild, and was much esteemed for its 
healing qualities, when applied to green wounds. A species 
also of Solanum was in high reputation for tbe same purpose. 
The leaf resembled that of tobacco, on which account it was 
known by the name of wild tol^acco ; the upper side of the 
leaf was dark green, and smooth ; the under side white, and 
woolly ; the stem woody and prickly. The woolly side of 
the leaf applied to a swelling or gathering, quickly brings it 
to a head, and the green side afterwards as quickly heals it. 
I had an opportunity of seeing these eilects in more than one 
instance. Not far from Piettenberg's bay, along the banks 
of a small rivulet, I met with a whole forest of the Strelitzia 
Alba, whose tall and tapering stems, like those of the Areca 
nut, or Mountain cabbage, were regular and well propor- 
tioned, as the Corinthian shaft. Many of them ran to the 
height of five and twenty or thirty feet, without a leaf. It 
is sutiiciently remarkable, that the three Strelitzias of Africa 
should be found in three distinct situations, and at great 
distances from each other ; and still more so, that the 
white species should grow so very abundantly along the 
side of one stream of water, and not a single plant be found 
near any of the rest in the same neighbourhood. From 
the great resemblance of this plant to tlie Banana tree, the 
peasantry call it the Wild Plantain. But the most elegant 
plant that occurred in the whole forest was the native vine 
