2 
F. E. Weiss. 
of a very ancient flora arc preserved in this region in the Cycads 
Enceplinlartos and Stangeria. The former, called “ Kaffir Bread,” 
is found in the Eastern parts of Cape Colony, while the latter is 
confined to Natal. There is no doubt that these forms represent 
the remainder of a very ancient group of plants, with a world-wide 
distribution in Mesozoic times. 
As regards the general aspect of the vegetation close along the 
coast of this South Eastern region we find an area of forest land 
established under conditions of adequate supply of summer rains 
and a higher temperature due to the warm Mozambique current 
which flows along the East Coast. This more tropical climate has 
enabled palms such as Phoenix reclincita and Hyphaene coriacea to 
establish themselves in this littoral zone as far South and East as 
Port Elizabeth. The forest-areas contain also tree-ferns (Hemitelia) 
and aerial orchids in districts where the rainfall is sufficiently 
abundant, as it is in the more Northern portion of this region. 
Another characteristic plant is the tall Strclitzia augusta, the pale 
flowers of which are pollinated by birds of the Cynnaris group, 
which alight on the arrow-shaped organ projecting from the flower. 
A further tropical aspect is given to the Natal Coast by the 
occurence of a Mangrove vegetation such as the members of the 
British Association were privileged to visit near Durban. 
Inland from the littoral forest-belt, formerly no doubt much 
more extensive, on the rising lands there was formerly a thorn 
bush which like the forest land has had to give way to the successful 
agricultural development of Natal. 
Around Durban one sees large plantations of Pineapples, while 
both the Mangoes, Bananas and Pawpaws yield abundant crops. 
4,000 acres are under cultivation for tea and yield about two million 
pounds per annum. The tea industry dates back to 1850, when the 
first plants, probably of China tea, were introduced from Kew. 
Since then a considerable number of Indian varieties have been 
grown. 
The sugar cane on the other hand seems to have been a native 
of Natal and to have been grown in small quantities about the 
kraals of the Zulus. Now sugar planting has become the most 
important industry of Natal and produces £600,000 of sugar. But 
while these crops flourish in the littoral belt, where the rainfall is 
abundant [it is 42^ inches (1,000 mm.) at Durban], as we proceed 
upwards towards the central plateau these crops can no longer be 
raised. We pass from a belt of land in which temperature and 
