Bunches of bright yellow Cassia blossoms dangled close to our heads; white Ipomoeas scrambled over them again; and broad-leaved sedges, five feet high, carrying on bright brown flower-heads, like those of our Wood-rush, blue, black, and white shot for seeds.

{161b} Overhead, sprawled and dangled the common Vine-bamboo, {161c} ugly and unsatisfactory in form, because it has not yet, seemingly, made up its mind whether it will become an arborescent or a climbing grass; and, meanwhile, tries to stand upright on stems quite unable to support it, and tumbles helplessly into the neighbouring copsewood, taking every one's arm without asking leave.

A few ages hence, its ablest descendants will probably have made their choice, if they have constitution enough to survive in the battle of life--which, from the commonness of the plant, they seem likely to have.

And what their choice will be, there is little doubt.

There are trees here of a truly noble nature, whose ancestors have conquered ages since; it may be by selfish and questionable means.