10 
because I fear that the four boxes of Orchideis and one of seeds, 
which were to leave Santa Martha by the November or Decem¬ 
ber packet, may have arrived in England, at a time of frost; so 
that I am very anxious to secure more of the same plants; which 
I shall get in the Interior. Among the very fine species are a 
Schombur^hkia, a splendid Limodorum and a very singular and un¬ 
common Maxillaria. I have never seen the latter in full bloom, 
but judging from its strong habit and still stronger flower-stems, 
I expect it will prove a remarkable thing; these I hope to pro¬ 
cure in a day or two, from the Sierras of Maracaybo; the re¬ 
mainder of the road, three hundred miles, lies through a savan¬ 
nah country, and will afibrd the seeds of some fine Palms. I 
expect the distance will occupy about eighteen days. I shall 
pack up here the plants collected on this side of the Nivada, to 
be shipped by the first conveyance to Santa Martha; whence they 
will be despatched, so as to reach England early in April, when 
there will be no risk of frost. Among other plants, gathered on 
this side of the Nivada, is a magnificent Oncidium ranking among 
the most conspicuous of that noble tribe: its bright yellow flowers 
are slightly striped in the centre with scarlet, and as large (which 
you will see by the specimens) as those of 0. Papilio : the habit 
of the species is strictly trailing, like a Manettia. I have some 
fears about getting tliis plant to England alive, its pseudo-bulbs 
being so delicate. I found it climbing over mossy trees, to their 
topmost branches, on the river San Antonio, at an elevation of 
about 3,000 feet. There is also a showy and fragrant plant, like 
Catosetum, but a distinct genus. 
The ascent of this slope of the Nivada has afibrded me many 
more plants than did the other side, by way of San Sebastian. 
The vegetation is generally stronger and finer. After ascending 
2,000 feet, I came to a gigantic forest of Laurus Persea (Avocado 
Pear) strewing the ground with its delicious fruits, and the 
luxuriant foliage affording an impenetrable shade : there w ere 
also a few scattered Palms ; the slender and graceful Chamadorea 
gracilis was particularly abundant; producing pendent clusters 
of golden fruit, which imparted a lively aspect to the otherwise 
sombre wuldemess. This mixture of trees continued till about 
4,000 feet of elevation ; where Palms become more predominant, 
blending wdth the less noble but more delicate and beautiful 
Tree-Ferns. There w'as nothing, however, new to me in this 
vegetation. Higher still, at 5,000 feet, comes the Podocarpus, 
with some Myrtaceous trees, MelastomcB and the stately Wax- 
Palm, the only Palm that is found at such an elevation. Hence, 
till shnibs cease (at about 11,000 feet) the beautiful 
