BOTANY. 
59 
and crossing as many valleys, I only met with two 
plants of the same Tamarix, and a low shrubby-like 
Labiata {Lavendula formosa) almost dried up, with a 
few leaves, and some blossoms just opening. This 
plant was, however, found subsequently to spread over 
the whole island. The desert, in its most desolate parts 
described by travellers, cannot exhibit a more melan- 
choly aspect than this part of St. Vincent. Yet the 
soil ought to be fertile ; it is conglomerate of fragments 
of basalt of various sizes in a loamy and chalky soil, 
closely covered in many places with dried grass — the 
natural hay — furnishing a scanty fodder to cattle and 
goats when they have not the Tamarix to browse on. 
In fact, the soil only wants water ; and we may guess 
from such remnants of vegetation, how prolific it must be, 
when supplied with some moisture diuing the brief 
rainy season ; which according to the natives, lasts from 
the beginning of August to the middle of October, 
though even then the rain is not always abundant. 
“ To these plants of the plain before mentioned — 
if such a term may be applied — where there is little 
besides hill and dale — but few more were subsequently 
added ; a small Euphorbia, perhaps prostrata or ser- 
phyllifolia, believed to be new ; a few sea-shore plants, 
especially Zygophyllum album and simplex, and Cassia 
obovata, just then in blossom and fruit, and extending 
from the shore, about six hundred feet up the side of 
the mountains.” 
This scanty harvest below, induced the Doctor to 
