166 Mr. Gardner's Journey to the Organ Mountains, 



nos Ayres in the south. The name which the Portuguese 

 have bestowed on them (Serra dos Orgaos) originated from a 

 fancied resemblance which the peaks, which rise gradually the 

 one above the other, bear to the pipes of an organ. Having 

 learned that two or three English merchants, whose families 

 had gone up to the mountains for the summer months, were 

 about to start to spend the Christmas holidays with them, it 

 was with much pleasure I accepted an invitation to accom- 

 pany them in their boat. One of them was George March, 

 Esq., the gentleman at whose " Fazenda " I was to live while 

 remaining on the mountains. 



It was midday before we could leave the city, and under the 

 influence of a strong sea breeze we reached Piedade, the landing 

 place, at half-past three, the distance from the city being about 

 twenty miles. The day was a most delightful one, in conse- 

 quence of which, and of the many verdant little islands among 

 which we were constantly gliding, the passage was so pleasant 

 that I almost regretted its shortness. At Piedade, mules from 

 Mr. March's fazenda were waiting for us and our luggage; 

 and after a short stay for the arrangement of the latter we 

 commenced our land journey, The road from Piedade to 

 Mage, a village about four miles distant, leads through a flat, 

 sandy, and in several places marshy plain, covered with low trees 

 and bushes, principally Melastomacece, Malvaceae, and Myrta- 

 cem, and great abundance of Selinum terebinthifolium (Raddi) . 

 In the hedges, by the road side, I saw several species of Cissus, 

 Bignonia, and Paullinia, and in moist places many plants of 

 Dichorizandra thyrsiflora in beautiful flower. The sandy fields 

 were covered with a large species of Cactus, among which 

 many plants of Fourcroya gigantea (Vent.) were to be seen 

 throwing up their flowering stems to a height of twenty and 

 thirty feet. From Mage to Freschall, a distance of fourteen 

 miles, the road is still flat, but winds round many low hills, 

 the sides of which are covered with Mandiocca plantations. 

 We arrived at Freschall at half-past seven o'clock p.m., and 

 remained there for the night. 



Next morning by break of day we again continued our 

 journey. At about two miles from Freschall the ascent of the 

 mountains begins. From thence the distance to Mr. March's 



