hich must
contribute greatly to its salubrity.

The soil of that part of the country with which we are best acquainted,
is of a red argillaceous nature, generally forming a stratum of nine or
ten feet in thickness, lying over one of sandstone, in which are
imbedded fragments of lava; the latter stratum, at Point William,
appears to decline to the east, at an angle of ten or twelve degrees.

The whole of the island is most luxuriantly wooded, even to within three
or four hundred feet of its highest peaks, while some cleared spots,
particularly in the north-east part, which is the most populous and
cultivated, affords evidences of its great fertility. There is an
immense variety of timber, comprising some of the finest trees in the
world. I have already mentioned the Indian-rubber tree as indigenous
here. The island also produces a species of black pepper, and we have
reason to believe that cloves and nutmegs are to be met with. Yams are
cultivated in abundance; they are remarkably fine and large, and
constitute the principal food of the natives. Of this root they prepare
a food called foo-foo, made by beating a quantity of well boiled ones
together for a long time in a wooden mortar, which forms it into a
highly tenacious mass, somewhat similar to bird-lime, but this mode of
preparing them is not peculiar to Fernando Po, for it is commonly
practised among the African nations. There is also a variety of other
edible plants, particularly the eddoe, which is well known in the West
Indies, and whose leaves, when young, form a good substitute for
spinach. It is in general use when yams are out of season. A few
plantains have also been brought to us. Wild fruits, not generally
known, are found here; but there do not appear to be any oranges,
lemons, limes, pine-apples, bananas, sour-sop, or sugar-canes, which are
peculiar to such climates.

The following is the mode adopted for procuring the sap of the
palm-tree, commonly known by the name of palm-wine: the lower branches
of the tree having been cut off near the trunk, the sap exudes
abundantly from the extremity of the divided part, and is received in
calabashes appended thereto, which are secured from the aggressions of
insects by enclosing the mouth of the vessel with the end of the branch,
by leaves, and secured with wooden pins. The natives are remarkably
expert in ascending the tree for the purpose of attaching and removing
the calabashes; to assist them, they make us