Information respecting Botanical Travellers. 469 



tivated ground and ascending a slight eminence, we entered the Vir- 

 gin Forest. Previously the road had been of a sandy nature, but 

 now we found it to consist of hard clay. Many of the trees were 

 very lofty, though they do not commonly attain the stature of those 

 in the province of Rio. Among the shrubs that grow below them I 

 observed a few Melastomacece, Myrtacece and Rubracece, also a beauti- 

 ful scarlet-flowered acanthaceous climber. After riding for an hour 

 through this wood we reached the cleared valley, containing the cot- 

 tages of the colonists, passing several before we reached the one at 

 which we meant to remain. The buildings are generally small, but 

 much superior in cleanliness and neatness of arrangement to those 

 belonging to the same class of Brazilians. Having partaken of some 

 supper, we slung our hammocks in a small apartment, and enjoyed 

 sound sleep till morning. 



My friend being desirous of having a day's hunting in the woods 

 with one of the Germans, I determined to accompany them, in hopes 

 of making some additions to my botanical stores. We set off early, 

 entering the wood about a mile from the cottage. Here, as in simi- 

 lar situations near the town, I observed a great deficiency of herba- 

 ceous plants, and in a walk of about two hours only collected a few 

 ferns. Passing through this wood we suddenly came upon another 

 cleared valley, containing the ruins of several cottages. This, we 

 were told, had been the first site of the settlement ; but as the Ger- 

 mans were forbidden to cut any more wood in this direction, they 

 moved their quarters a few years ago to the place from which we 

 started. Near these dismantled dwellings we found plenty of pine- 

 apples, and refreshed ourselves with some which were ripe, shelter- 

 ing ourselves from the sun under the shade of an out-house which 

 had formerly served as a place for the manufacture of Mandioca. 

 Moist situations in this neighbourhood afforded plenty of Contoubea 

 spicata, while in dry, sandy and bushy places were a few plants of 

 a species of Cyrtopodium in flower. In the wood I observed a fine 

 tree covered with long spikes of bright yellow flowers, of which ha- 

 ving procured specimens, I found it to be a species of Vochysia, with 

 verticillate leaves. Near the same place were many trees, especially 

 by a small stream, of Moronobea coccinea, loaded with their globular 

 crimson blossoms ; and, in returning, I collected a yellow-flowered 

 Palicourea, called " Matto rato", which is not, however, the same 

 plant as is known at Rio de Janeiro by the name of "Erva do Rato." 



Next day I made an excursion into a wood on the opposite side of 

 the valley from the former, where I added a few more plants to my 

 collections, among them a small number of Orchidece, which appear 



