l.ATF. ALLAN CUNNINGHAM, ESQ. 233 



chor at Rio de Janeiro on the 28th of December. For the 

 next three months our travellers remained at Rio, awaiting 

 the dilatory proceedings of the Portuguese government in 

 granting them permission to travel in the interior, procuring 

 their passports, and making necessary preparations for their 

 journey. During their residence at Rio, collections were 

 made of the plants and seeds found in the vicinity. The 

 botanical gardens were also visited, and a correspondence in- 

 stituted with the superintendent of the Botanic Garden, Sen- 

 hor Gomez, and also with M. LangsdorfF, wlio at that period 

 resided in Rio, and who kindly showed them his collections, 

 and afforded them much information for their future pro- 

 ceedings. 



On the 3d April, they took their departure from Rio for 

 San Paulo; on the 5th they were detained at a Venda, near 

 Taguahy, until the 13th, by continued rains, which flooded 

 the country they had to travel over, and rendered it impass- 

 able for a time. They also found themselves compelled to 

 increase their train of mules, in consequence of the ineffici- 

 ency of some of the animals they had purchased in Rio; they 

 also hired a Portuguese to accompany them, and take ciiarge 

 of their negroes, mules, and baggage. Shortly after leaving 

 the Venda, they commenced the ascent of the mountains by 

 a very winding road, exceedingly rough, and full of holes and 

 channels formed by the heavy rains, and now filled with 

 water, and encumbered with large fragments of rock that had 

 fallen on it; the mules, being frequently compelled to stop 

 from the steepness of the road, causing their loads to shift, 

 rendered the ascent exceedingly fatiguing an<l tedious. Hav- 

 ing, however, reached the summit, they halted for the night 

 at a Rancho or shed, called a roca de Reij, where they suf- 

 fered much from the cold, the upper part of the mountain 

 being enveloped in clouds. Among the plants collected 

 since their departure from Rio were species of the following 

 genera : — Pontederia, a polyandrous aquatic with yellow 

 flowers {Limnocharis Humholdtii), Aristolochia^ Menyanthes, 

 {Villarsia), Oncidium, Guarea, Gomphia, ^"c. On the 14th, 



Vol. IV.— No. 29. 2 G 



