1811. 
THE PALMITE. — AN INNKEEPER. 
91 
Most of the rivers which we passed in this excursion, are choked 
up with the plant called Palmiet * by the colonists, and from which 
this one derives its name. Some notion of the appearance of these 
plants, may be gained by imagining a vast number of ananas, or pine- 
apple plants, without fruit, so thickly crowded together as to cover 
the sides and even the middle of the stream, standing seldom higher 
than three or four feet above the surface, but generally under water 
whenever the river swells above its ordinary height. The stems 
which support them are of the thickness of a man's arm ; black, and 
of a very tough and spongy substance ; generally simple, though not 
rarely divided into one or two branches. They rise up from the 
bottom, not often in an upright posture, but inclined by the force 
of the current. They have very much the growth of Dragon-trees, 
[Draccena), or of some palms, from which latter resemblance they 
have obtained their name. 
A little further on, we came to the house of a man who had 
formerly been a non-commissioned officer of dragoons in the Dutch 
service, and who now endeavoured to support himself and his family, 
by supplying the passing traveller with provisions and the produce 
of his little garden. As this might in some respects be considered 
an inn, we rode up to the door without hesitation, and were met 
by a man, whose grotesque appearance fixed our attention ; lame in 
one leg, he hobbled towards us on a crutch, while an enormous broad- 
brimmed black felt hat overshadowed his whole body, like an 
umbrella, of which his spare figure might represent the stick. We 
dismounted, but soon discovered that we had arrived at an unlucky 
hour, as our host declared that at that moment he had nothing in 
the house to eat. However, after some consultation with them, he 
desired his daughters to place before us some bread, butter, Spanish 
* This is the Juncus serratus of Thunberg, and with that genus it agrees in fructifi- 
cation ; yet its appearance and habit, together with its gigantic size, would rather refer it 
to some other family. Hitherto, however, I have not been able to discover any character 
which might authorize its separation, unless three sessile stigmata can be considered as a 
sufficient generic difference. 
N 2 ■ 
