THE VOYAGE. 15 



the delicate beak, just blushed with carmine, in 

 contact with the snowy breast. Meekness and 

 innocence seem embodied in this singular freak 

 of nature ; and who can marvel that crafty priests, 

 ever watchful for- any phenomenon convertible 

 into the miraculous, should have knelt before this 

 wondrous flower, and trained the minds of the 

 superstitious natives to accept the title the 

 ' Flower of the Holy Ghost,' to gaze upon with 

 awe and reverence, sanctifying even the rotten 

 wood from which it springs, and the air laden 

 with its exquisite perfume ? But it is the flower 

 alone I fear they worship; their minds ascend 

 not from ' nature up to nature's God ; ' the image 



only is bowed down to, not He who made it. 



j 



The stalks of the plant are jointed, and attain a 

 height of from six to seven feet, and from each 

 joint spring two lanceolate leaves ; the time of 

 flowering is in June and July. 



We were to have a special train (the cost 

 of crossing the isthmus was something enor- 

 mous the actual amount I do not now re- 

 member) ; and as we were most desirous to see as 

 much of the country as possible, an open goods- 

 truck was appropriated to our use, in which we 

 could stand, and have a full peep at everything 

 as we steamed along. Whilst the train was 



