394^ Russian Natural History Expedition in Brazil. 



Art. it. Some Account of a Russian Natural History Expedition 

 in Brazily during the Seven Years preceding April, 1831. By 

 M. F. Faldermann, Curator of the Botanic Gardens, St. 

 Petersburgh. 



Sir, 



The imperial Russian expedition for exploring the natural 

 history of Brazil, under the direction of the Consul-general 

 Chevalier Langsdorf, has returned, after seven years spent in 

 the interior parts of that extensive empire. M. L. Riedel, 

 who was attached to that expedition in the quality of bota- 

 nist, has consequently returned to the imperial botanic gar- 

 den at St. Petersburgh ; and, from his intimacy here, I have 

 had opportunities of learning the facts narrated in the fol- 

 lowing sketch. Up to the present time nothing has been 

 published respecting the vast and interesting enterprises of 

 this expedition: I have therefore judged it useful to send 

 a short statement of them for insertion in your esteemed 

 Magazine, as even such a statement will give at least an 

 idea of the main course of the expedition, and of the prin- 

 cipal vegetation of this rich empire, so little frequented by 

 naturalists. 



M. Riedel embarked at the port of St. Petersburgh in 

 the autumn of the year 1820; and, in the beginning of 1821, 

 after visiting several ports on his voyage, reached Brazil. 

 He extended his first researches into the province of Bahia, 

 and directed himself particularly to the Comarca dos llheos. 

 Thence he travelled on the shores of the rivers Una and 

 Itahype, until he came to the immense native forests in- 

 habited by the wild Kamakans. After a very successful 

 journey, he left this province in October, 1822, and arrived, 

 loaded with rich collections, particularly of dried plants, at 

 Rio de Janeiro. 



In the capital of the Brazilian empire he joined the im- 

 perial Russian expedition. In the year 1823 he confined 

 himself to excursions in the province of Rio Janeiro, and 

 directed his exertions particularly to the mountains surround- 

 ing the port of the capital ; he examined most attentively the 

 lofty and seldom accessible trees of the native forests, and 

 found them to be chiefly such as Bign6n2>, Terminaliae, 

 Lecythis, Vochysice, Hymen<^V, JPici, &c. Below these trees, 

 in very moist shade, he noticed in particular abundance, 

 and growing most luxuriantly, Begonz<^, shrubby Oxalides, 

 many ferns, Galipece^ Peperomise, Melastomse, &c. The 

 lower places of the hills and mountains, particularly toward 

 the shore of the ocean, are characterised by Coccolobae, 



