BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 205 
the latter, spite of all my care, have decayed, and I fear it 
may not be in my power to replace them. 
** On the journey between Douro and this place, a load of 
my dried plants encountered a sad misfortune. On cross- 
ing the Rio de Peixe, the horse which was carrying two 
large boxes of specimens fell down, just as he was emerging 
from the water, and one of the boxes dropped into the river, 
and before we could extract it, the water filled it! It is only 
a botanist who can imagine what I felt, when I saw upwards 
of 2000 specimens completely drenched and apparently ruined 
forever. My first care was to unpack them and put them into 
dry paper, but so many specimens were laid on every sheet, 
that this process had but little effect in dissipating the mois- 
ture, and it was my intention next day to unpack them all 
again, and spread them out in the sun. Meanwhile having 
emptied the box of water and dried it, the plants were de- 
posited in it again, and for greater security the package was 
put upon a stronger horse, which had not however proceeded 
above half-a-league, when in crossing a small rivulet, I had 
the mortification to see the box which contained the wet 
Plants, as well as that which had previously escaped the 
disaster, both plunged below the water. The unlucky 
animal which: carried them was going first, and instead of 
entering at the right fording-place, he stumbled into a deep 
hole with a muddy bottom, and in struggling to extricate 
himself, flung off both the packages; and before they could 
got out, they were in a worse state than the one which 
had suffered in the morning. If I felt much chagrined on 
the former occasion, you may imagine what was my distress 
when I saw the hard labour of many weeks, the produce of 
à district, previously unexplored by any botanist, thus con- 
signed to ruin. All that could be done was to pour the 
water out of the boxes and resume our journey. Fortunately © 
for my plants and me, we reached that evening a Fazenda, 
Where the principal article manufactured was Mandiocca 
Jour; and here, since it rained heavily all next day, I obtain- 
ed permission to have the use of two large stoves, on which = 
