248 
LUXURIANT VEGETATION. 
The first trees, as in the Niger, Mere Iom^ palms, 
M'ith immense arching leaves or branches — erro- 
neously called bamboo, — from which the natives 
extract the best palm-M'ine, called nimba. The long 
ribs of these are used for the roofs of huts. With 
these trees are intermixed ferns, the pandanus, 
and a variety of bushes and shrubs of small growth. 
The foliage appeared of a healthier hue ; the banks, 
though still low, were firm ; and the richness of the 
vegetable kingdom increased rapidly as we advanced, 
especially when on leaving the narrow channel before 
mentioned, and passing the upper end of the Jibareh 
Creek, M^e attained the principal object of our Little 
excursion — the main undivided river — a broad and 
magnificent stream, resembling some of the reaches of 
the Niger below Aboh, and about four or five hundred 
yards wide. The banks at the margin of the water 
were thickly covered with the long grass peculiar to 
African rivers ; immediately behind came ferns, patches 
of plantains, and bushes of endless variety of form and 
foliage; many in full flower, and nearly all thickly 
matted Muth innumerable graceful creepers, among 
M'hich some pretty convolvuli displayed their many- 
tinted blossoms. Behind these rose the slender palm, 
the cocoa nut, and the gigantic bombax, the strength 
of whose buttresses enables it to defy tlie rage of the 
tornado, and to aftbrd shelter and protection to the 
numerous forest trees that group around it. This part 
of the river M as said to be a favourite haunt of liippo- 
