234 Planta Lindheimeriana. 



The following brief account of the region in which the present collection of plants 

 was made, drawn up by Dr. Engelmann as a preface to this article, having been 

 received too late to take its proper place, is here subjoined. 



" In November, 1844, Mr. Lindheimer left the neighbor- 

 hood of the Brazos River, where he had made his collections 

 in 1843 and 1844, and reached in January, 1845, the shores 

 of the Matagorda Bay. In this and the following month he 

 collected on the lower Guadaloupe. From thence he went up 

 this river about one hundred miles. Here, where the Comale 

 Creek empties into the Guadaloupe, the Association of Ger- 

 man emigrants, with whom he had for the present joined his 

 fortunes, selected a place for settlement, and laid the founda- 

 tion of New Braunfels, now a flourishing town, and the county 

 seat of Comale county. 



"The year 1845 was spent in exploring the country and 

 making excursions in the mountainous region to the west and 

 northwest, at that time very insecure, being the haunts of 

 wild Indian tribes. 



"In the following year, 1846, Mr. Lindheimer made large 

 collections in the interesting country about New Braunfels, at 

 the same time giving much of his time and attention to the 

 affairs of the colony. 



"The explorations of the year 1847 were extended north- 

 west to the country watered by the Pierdenales River, where 

 another German settlement, Friedrichsburg (or Frederiks- 

 burg), had been founded. Collections were made partly here 

 and partly near New Braunfels. Late in the fall an excursion 

 in a northern direction into the granitic region of the Liano 

 river furnished some interesting plants not observed before. 



"The year 1848 was spent principally on the Liano, where 

 several new German settlements had been formed. But the 

 country appeared to be less rich in botanical treasures than 

 had been expected ; the burning sun of the summer months 

 had almost destroyed the vegetation on the granitic soil, not 

 refreshed for months by any rains. The Comanches, Weckos, 



