150 
SURVEY OF THE INTERTROPICAL 
1822. large fire was perceived close to the nest ; it was 
Jan.. 3 . no doubt kindled by them, and meant to shew 
that they were not inattentive to their promise. 
4 The following day some natives were seen 
about a mile off, upon the beach, but did not 
come near the vessel. Mr. Cunningham bo- 
tanised upon the summit of Bald Head. Of this 
excursion he gave me the following account : — 
“ Upon reaching the summit of the ridge, and 
clearing a rocky gulley which intersected our 
track, we instantly entered an elevated valley of 
pure white sand, bounded on either side by ridges 
forty feet high, that were in themselves totally 
bare, excepting on the tops, where a thin cloth- 
ing of shrubs was remarked ; the whole surface 
reflected a heat scarcely supportable, and the air 
was so stagnant as scarcely to be respired, al- 
though we were at a considerable elevation, and 
in the vicinity of a constant current of pure atmo- 
spheric air on the ridge. After traversing the 
whole length of this sandy vale, which is one- 
third of a mile in extent, in our route towards 
Bald Head, with scarcely a plant to attract our 
attention, we perceived at its extremity some re- 
markably fine specimens of candollea cuneiformis^ 
Labil., which had, in spite of the poverty and 
looseness of the drifting sand, risen to large 
spreading trees, sixteen feet high, of robust 
