52 
HISTORY OF MAURITIUS. 
grow in bunches at the top of a stem, whose leaves resemble pieces of gray cloth. 
There is another everlasting, with purple flowers, which grows every where: a reed 
that does not exceed the size of a large hair, and bears a bunch of white and blue- 
flowers, which, at some distance, appear to be floating in the air: it comes from the 
Cape; with a kind of tulip that has but two leaves, which stick to the earth as if they 
grasped it: there is a plant also from China, that sows itself: it has small flowers 
like a rose, each stem producing six or seven of them at the same time, all of which 
are variegated, from the deep red of bull’s blood to the colour of brick. 
The aloe flourishes here; from whose leaves may be drawn a medicinal gum, 
while their fibres are capable of being manufactured into linen: it grows on the 
rocks, and in places scorched by the sun. Some are covered with a strong and thick 
leaf of the size of a man’s hand, and armed with a long spike : the stem rises from 
the centre to the height of a tree, that is covered with flowers which drop down aloes 
in their perfect state. There are others which are straight like large torches, with 
several sides, and covered with very sharp thorns; these are streaked, and have the 
appearance of serpents. 
The rose tree is so easily propagated, that hedges are formed of it; but its flower 
is not close and fragrant as those of Europe : there are many varieties of them, and 
among others, a small kind from China, which bears flowers throughout the year. 
The jessamines of Spain and France are naturalized here. There are pomegranates 
with a double flower, but they are not very fruitful. The myrtle does not flourish 
here as in Provence. 
The Asiatic, African, and American shrubs are, the Cassis, whose leaf is indented; 
but it does not resemble that of Europe. It is a large shrub, which is covered 
with yellow odoriferous flowers, in small tufts: they yield a bean which affords a 
black dye. As it is thorny, it is useful in forming hedges. 
The Foulsapatte, an Indian word, which signifies the shoemaker’s flower, from 
its depositing a black dye when rubbed on leather. This shrub has a fine green fo¬ 
liage, larger than that of the horn-beam, in the midst of which appear flowers, like 
those of the pink, and of a deep red: they are used in forming close hedges, and 
there are many varieties of them. 
The Poincillade, which is a native of America, is a kind of bramble that bears 
clusters of yellow and red flowers; it is very beautiful, but fades in a short time. 
It yields a bean, and its leaf is divided like the esculent vegetables. 
