IN VARIOUS PARTS OF THE GLOBE. 193 



portions into which the lake is divided, and which I crossed to 

 reach the village of Copa Cabana. The temperature of the 

 islands of this lake, or rather inland sea, is apparently different 

 from that of the mainland on its borders ; in one of them, the 

 Isla de Titicaca, maize, though very poor, is occasionally cul- 

 tivated. A |:)lant of the order Eupatoriaceae is the commonest 

 wild plant of this country ; the famous ruins of the temple of the 

 Moon, in the island Cuati, are situated in a little wood of Poly- 

 lepis. The peninsula of Copa Cabana enjoys many of the advan- 

 tages of the island climate, though in a less degree, for maize 

 does not ripen there. The native vegetation is, however, more 

 highly developed in this place than in any other of the same 

 region with which I am acquainted. Besides the Polylepis 

 there is a Buddleia, called, from its resemblance to the olive, the 

 Avild Oliva, equally characteristic of this country. Lastly, I 

 observed in the same peninsula a large green-flowered currant, a 

 Cassia, a frutescent Solanum, a Discaria, and above all the 

 Cantua huxifolia, which, with its long purple corolla, is the 

 principal botanical ornament of the district. Leaving these 

 pretty places I entered the republic of Peru, and came, by fol- 

 lowing the west bank as far as Puno, into sandy plains partially 

 covered by the little Ephedra humilis, which scarcely pro- 

 jects beyond the soil in which its orange fruit is almost wholly 

 buried. 



Whilst at Puno I visited the celebrated Mine del Manto : on 

 the 3rd of February I left for Arequipa, where I arrived on the 

 8th. On this journey I made an interesting collection of plants 

 inhabiting the Punas. On the 5th I passed a series of small 

 lakes, enclosed by tlie mountains, and without any apparent outlet ; 

 beyond these I travelled between mountains covered with snow 

 upon the highest point of this part of Peru. On the opposite side 

 is an immense plain of white gravel, so barren that I only found 

 a single plant, Senecio adenotrichius, and that was growing 

 through the skull of a Llama. This plain, which is constantly 

 swept by hurricanes, is called the Pampa de los Confites from 

 the small fragments of quartz scattered over its surface. On the 

 7th I began to descend towards Arequipa, following for some 

 distance the Rio Blanco, which falls into the Pacific. The 

 atmosphere was so obscured by tlie snow which was falling as I 

 passed that I could hardly catch a glimpse of its ^^'hite-fronted 

 cone.* The highest point of the mountain, over which the road 

 passes, is called Alto de los Huesos ; to get there the traveller 



* I ascended this mountain, which is, according to Mr. Pentland, not less 

 than 6000 yards above the level of the sea : I was twelve hours getting up 

 the cone. The last plant I saw on my ascent was a species of Bolax, which 

 grew among the cinders. 



VOL. VI. r 



