1811. 
A PARASITIC PLANT THE FORD. 
321 
being detained by the thorns. It grows without a root, out of 
the very substance of the branch which supports it, exactly in the 
same manner as the mistletoe ; and, like that, is also disseminated 
by birds, which after eating the sweet viscous berries, wipe their 
beak on the branch of some tree, to which the seed adheres, and 
where, if the bark be smooth and full of sap, it soon thrusts out a 
large green radicle, which gradually pierces the outer rind, and 
fixes itself as firmly as if it were naturally a branch of the tree. The 
flowers grow several together at every leaf ; and their tubular shape, 
half split open, red without and white within, might very well cause 
it to be compared to the Honey-suckle : but then, it wanted all the 
fragrance of our European favorite. A large shrub, covered with a 
cotton-like seed f , was met with for the first time, and occurred in 
great abundance. 
In three hours we again approached the river, and arrived at 
the spot distinguished on my map by the name of Shallow Ford. 
While the rest were engaged in levelling the road down the bank, 
and exploring the safest part of the ford, I made a sketch of the 
river, from the top of the high woody bank, whence there was a 
broad, and far-extended view up the stream ; the smooth water, like a 
polished mirror, appearing divided from the sky, only by a narrow 
blue line of distant hills. Here the southern shore was defined by 
naked cliffs ; while, on the opposite side, a continued belt of willows 
and acacias extended, gradually diminishing in the distance, till, turn- 
ing round a low projecting point of land, it entirely disappeared. 
The waggons being all assembled, several men, some on horse- 
back, and some on oxen, were the first to enter the river, not only 
for the purpose of pointing out where the water was shallowest, 
they having been twice across during the morning ; but to give warn- 
ing to those who were behind, if by chance a hippopotamus hole 
should be found in their way. They were followed immediately by 
f A species of Tarchonanthus. It was at this time that I first noticed the fact of the 
genus being dioicous ; a remark afterwards fully confirmed by observing the same 
circumstance in some other species. 
