NOTICE OF A BOT.AN'ICAL MISSION TO THE WEST INDIES 
AND NEW GRENADA; 
BY WILLIAM PL’BDIE, 
Collector for the Royal Gardens of Kew; in letters addressed to the Editor. 
(Contiuued from vol. ii. p. 42.) 
Santa Martha, June 4th, 1844. 
Since ray last letter, of the 5th of May,* I have made several 
excursions to the mountains behind Santa IMartha, but on no 
occasion have I got any higher than 2,000 feet; further progress 
being impossible from this side. I find there are only two direc¬ 
tions in which the Nivada can be reached, one is by way of Rio 
de la Hacha, the other by the Valle de Upari. The former is 
the route by which Mr. Linden ascended, and the distance from 
hence is 150 miles. The latter is the way I think of pursuing, 
for it is untrodden by any botanist, and it also seems unadvisable 
to follow Mr. Linden’s footsteps: the distance by the Valle de 
Upari is 250 miles. 
Behind Santa Martha rises a succession of mountain ridges ; 
terminated, so far as can be seen from this place, by a lofty 
range, apparently about 6,000 feet high. Behind this range 
lies the Valle de Upari, by which the Nivada may be gained. 
I understand it is a very rich district. Hitherto I have found 
Orchidece very scarce. 
There has been great difficulty in obtaining mules ; owing to 
the want of inland population, there is no demand for these 
animals, except what are actually in use, and I find them both 
scarce and dear. As yet, I have bought only two, for which 
I paid 180 dollars. They are, however, good and valuable. 
This beautiful country lies uncultivated for want of inhabitants ; 
forests stretch in every direction, hardly a rood of land is reclaimed. 
There is no intercourse wfith the interior, and the hire of mules 
costs 24 dollars each to go to the Valle and back again; with 
the stipulation, too, that the journey must be performed in a 
given number of days. Thus it is cheapest in the end to pur¬ 
chase, and I have taken care to select such animals as will please 
the eye, as well as prove serviceable; otherwise there would be 
great difficulty in disposing of them again, when I go away. 
These Columbians look very sharp to their own interests. 
Hitherto my excursions have been made cheaply; for the gentle¬ 
men, to whom I brought letters of introduction, kindly lent me 
* No letter appears to have arrived of this date. 
