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



about two hundred feet deep. It being now two o'clock p.m. 

 it was too late to think of ascending it that day; so I deter- 

 mined to remain where we were for the night and attempt it 

 next day, but the blacks refused to do so on account of no 

 water being nearer than a little above where we had slept the 

 night previous. As I could not force them to remain, I was 

 consequently, much against my will, obliged to abandon all 

 idea of reaching the summit. Not having a barometer with 

 me I took up a thermometer that I might ascertain the boil- 

 ing point of water ; but unfortunately broke the tube before 

 I could do so. On the very top of the peak, a granite rock 

 almost destitute of soil, I found a great patch of a large bul- 

 bous-rooted plant : it was not in flower, but had all the appear- 

 ance of being an Amaryllis. I carried some away and have 

 since sent home a good many roots of it. After partaking of 

 a slight repast we commenced our downward journey, and 

 reached our encampment just as evening was setting in. After 

 preparing a little tea for myself I put my day's collection of 

 specimens into paper, and again lay down wrapped in my 

 poncho to enjoy some rest, being not a little fatigued with the 

 toils of the day. At 6 a.m. next morning the thermometer in- 

 dicated 47°. After breakfast I brought all my collection of 

 parasites, bulbs, &c. together, and allotted to each negro his 

 burden, the weight of which caused no little grumbling among 

 them ; but when they saw me load myself as heavily as any 

 of them they said nothing. We started at 8 a.m. and followed 

 the route by which we had come. The only thing which I 

 picked up on my way back worthy of notice was a new spe- 

 cies of Zygopetalon growing on the stem of an old tree. It 

 is not so fine as either of the other two Brazilian species. Its 

 petals and sepals are greenish-yellow, the labellum white, 

 streaked at the base with purple. I have named it Z. Mur- 

 ray anum in honour of my excellent friend Mr. Murray of the 

 Glasgow Botanic Garden. At 4 o'clock p.m., groaning under 

 our loads, we reached the fazenda. 



Being anxious to obtain a few more plants of the new Cactus, 

 and also a larger stock of those bulbous plants which I had 

 met with on my visit to the mountains, as well as to add more 

 specimens to my collection of dried plants, I made prepara- 



