or Coxv Tree of South America. 453 



roads we have none), it becomes break-neck work. Fifty 

 miles of travel brought us to an elevated valley called Catorori, 

 about a couple of miles from a mountain-perched respectable 

 town called Cariacco ; at a small sugar estate in the above- 

 named valley we halted, as from it some four miles higher up 

 in these elevated regions, grew the object of our search. On 

 inquiry we learnt that it would not be possible to go there 

 otherwise than on foot; therefore at six the next morning we 

 started, accompanied by a few Indians and coloured peasants. 

 I need not trouble you with the difficulties we encountered 

 ere we had achieved our long league of fatiguing ascent 

 through a dense forest, obliged at almost every step to have 

 the way hewn out for us, so thick and interlaced were the 

 branches, jungle, and pendent bejucos. A couple of hours' 

 toil placed us at the foot of one of the trees in question, which 

 very far exceeded any idea I could have formed of it from all 

 the descriptions given to me, or even from that of Humboldt. 

 This marvellously colossal vegetable cow stood surrounded 

 by thousands of other trees of different characters, few of them 

 less wonderfully stupendous than itself. At about five feet 

 from its roots it measured in circumference somewhat more 

 than twenty feet. Its trunk rose from its enrooted base most 

 majestically straight for full sixty feet (gradually decreasing 

 in thickness), clear of the slightest interruption, either of leaf 

 or branch. At this vast elevation the huge and powerful 

 branches spread forth on all sides to an extent of perhaps 

 twenty-five feet from the centre stem ; thickly and luxuriantly 

 clothed with immense leaves of a brilliant though sombre 

 green, not unlike in colour, polish, and shape, to the laurel, 

 but somewhat more pointed, each being from twelve to six- 

 teen inches in length, and from three to four in width. This 

 magnificent verdant portion of the tree I should estimate to 

 be not less than forty additional feet, hence the whole taken 

 together amounted to no less than 100 feet ; but others a few 

 hundred yards from us I found even exceeded this, both in 

 height and thickness, by many feet. 



" As soon as an arrow-shaped incision was made deep in 

 the bark (even to the wood itself) the snowy stream burst 

 forth in a most extraordinary manner ; so unceasing was the 

 current, that within a quarter of an hour we filled one bottle, 

 and the like was effected in the same time at another tree. In 

 colour and consistence at the time it was drawn, it differed in 

 no degree from that of the cow ; in taste, not less sweet and 

 palatable : however, it left on the tongue a slight bitterness, 

 and on the lips a disagreeable clamminess. * * * 



" The bark is a little roughish, and in general hue of a 



