204 BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 



Just before embarking, I wrote you a few lines to go by 

 the packet which sailed on the same day that we did. On 

 our arriving at Maranham, another opportunity presented 

 itself, and I did myself the pleasure of addressing a few lines to 

 you, to let you know that I had reached that place in safety ; 

 but as the vessel in which it went was in very bad trim for 

 sailing, I doubt much if that letter reached you any sooner 

 than this one. We were only detained nineteen days at 

 Maranham, there being a cargo of cotton ready for the ship 

 on our arrival. Our stay there was during the heaviest season 

 of the rains, and on this account I was prevented from going 

 out to botanize so often as I could have wished. I neverthe- 

 less made several excursions through the island, and spent 

 three days in the neighbourhood of the town of Alcantara, 

 which is on the main land, and have thereby added consider- 

 ably to my herbarium. The country is very flat, even flatter 

 than it is at Pernambuco, and the soil is very sandy and arid. 

 Besides my species which I had formerly collected in other 

 provinces, I may mention the following which were new to 

 me : — A Taligalea, different from the two which I found in 

 the province of Goyaz, Isertia coccinea, a Lisianthus, Quassia 

 amara, Allamanda cathartica, a climbing fruticose Echites 

 with white flowers, Dodoncea viscosa, an lonidium with white 

 flowers from the seashore, an Ambrosia from the same 

 place, a Salicornia, §t., Sfc. 1 also found abundance of your 

 Farheria, having thus proved its existence in this province, as 

 well as in that of Pernambuco, Goyaz, and Rio de Janeiro. 

 I have likewise again found on the sandy shores Mouriria 

 Guianensis. My Maranham collection has dried pretty well, 

 notwithstanding that the greater part of it has been dried 

 on board ship. The six boxes of living plants which I 

 brought with me from the Organ Mountains have not done 

 so well as I could have expected— out of about 150 species, 

 not more than 50 are now alive. Many fine things have 

 perished, but there still remains much that Mr Murray will 

 be proud of. Franciscea hydrangeceformis looks well — there 

 are two plants of it. Frepusa connata is in excellent 



