1885.] THE ENGLISH ARBORICULTVRAL SOCIETY. 187 



a leap over abrupt cliffs of conglomerate strata of 750 feet or so. 

 Though unequal to either the Yosemite or Niagara in height or 

 breadth, its botanical surroundings mark it out as the bourne of 

 many a traveller at once pursuing beauty and science. What 

 appeared amongst its ledges as large ferns, were disclosed by the 

 glass to be gigantic forest trees. Then the flatter Savannahs beyond 

 the fall have already yielded a collection more particularly of 

 Bromeliads, which was pronounced by the Kew authorities to be 

 perhaps the most unique collection ever gathered by an Englishman 

 in South America. Further, the scientist, undeterred by difficulties 

 of food-supply, may push along the river's bank through the vast 

 solitude till he come on the recently-discovered mountain Eoraima, 

 where the Savannah abruptly slopes to a height of 5000 feet above 

 the sea, and where a square sandstone escarpment towers up 2000 

 feet more, with a flat summit covered with trees, the source of the 

 river. Here, untold botanical treasures await the seeker. 



But our traveller is portaging his boat at one of those natural 

 obstructions at present dangerous to the transport of cut timber down 

 the river. The picture itself speaks as to the general characters of 

 the forest. But it may be as well to note how a walk through these 

 woods dispels the popular idea of tropical vegetation blazing with 

 gorgeous colour, and being composed almost exclusively of quaint 

 forms. The general type approaches our own Spanish chestnuts, oaks, 

 acacias, and laurels ; though the trees are on a gigantic scale, with 

 no varied colours in smaller plants to carpet the ground. Bright 

 patches of brilliant colour only exceptionally occur. A dull 

 uniformity of parasites on gigantic Mora trunks prevails, broken 

 only when the echoes are awakened by the fall of such towering 

 stems through forest fires, the cry of the tiger-cat, or the shooting 

 of snakes, on occasions- 30 feet long or so. The native Indians are 

 few, and harmless. 



THE ENGLISH ABBOBICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



THE annual general meeting of the English Arboricultural Society 

 was held on November 29th, in the Committee Eoom of the 

 Victoria Hall, Carlisle. Mr. James Watt, of Knowefield Nurseries, 

 was called to the chair, and among others present were — Mr. W. Baty, 

 Netherby ; Mr. .Tohn Davidson, Haydon Bridge (secretary) ; Mr. 

 Luke, Hexham; Mr. Fell, Hexham; Mr. W. Clark, Carlisle; Mr. 

 Ross, Skipton Castle ; Mr. Balden, Dilston ; Mr. Balden, Naworth ; 

 Mr. Eigg, Eawe Park, Keswick ; Mr. Wilson, Greystoke ; Mr. C. 

 Lonsdale, Eosehill ; Mr. Massie and ilr. Ferguson, Carlisle. The 

 secretary read letters of apology for absence from the Earl of Durham 

 (president of the Society), and Mr. George Howard, M.P. (one of the 



