— 133 
“ At day dawn we were on the move as our climb to our 
mountain home for the next few days was to be nearly 2000 
feet above sea level. We equally distributed our provisions 
vasculums, pressing boards, bottles, &c., among the four men, 
and hurried off so as to make as much bead way as possible 
before the sun was high. Our first rest was m the cocoanut 
grove of Mr Aristide Dupuy some distance up the mountain. 
Here we saw the sun rise gloriously from the Ocean to the 
cloudless blue sky, which we did not appreciate as much as 
such a scene deserves from the but too certain indications of 
a glaring hot day. 
“ Here the guardian offered us the use of a house if we 
would remain, but after taking some coco nut water we 
pushed on till we came to a grove of stunted trees. Among 
them we found a curious Vacoa tree the first of the kind we 
bad ever seen and it interested us greatly, Mr. Horne deem- 
ing it a new species. Aerial roots, descended from the 
branches all round the trees nearly to the earth (in many we 
Baw later they bad reached it.) They were perfectly round, 
and some of them as large as the trunk itself. Whether those 
strong aerial roots are for steadying the stem in case of high 
winds or for drawing additional moisture, I know not but for 
both purposes, I should suppose. The tips have an outer 
coating to protect the cellular integument in its downward 
progress, but once on the earth it quickly buries itself and 
each one helps to imbide nourishment probably for the per- 
fection of its fruit. Mr Horne took a number of seeds and 
leaves. 
“ After leaving the grove we came to a patch of coarse 
rank grass 8 or 9 feet high. We found many Chameleons on 
it, and the red Bulimus velutinus, and I got specimens of the 
large Iufois, Spirostrejotus obtusus. We came to a little plateau, 
and were anticipating the end of our journey, when we found 
*ve had still a long pull up a steep rockly path of some 
hundred of feet. It somewhat dismayed us, for we were 
already well fagged, but resting a little, and getting rid of one 
outer garments we put a good face on the matter. When 
about half way up we came to a bright little spring of water 
