41 8 Voyage of the Novara. 



On board the Ganges I experienced a not less cordial and 

 kind reception, and Admiral Baines, as commander-in-cliief 

 of the British fleet in the Pacific, did me the honour of grant- 

 ing me an official pass to all captains of British ships, setting 

 forth my scientific pursuits, and recommending me to their 

 particular attention. 



On the morning of the 14th June, the good steamer Val- 

 paraiso^ commanded by that courteous model of a British 

 sailor, Captain Bloomfield, reached Huanchoco, the principal 

 harbom- of Truxillo, which is only six miles distant, and was 

 once the capital of the northern portion of the empire of the 

 Incas. The export of silver, wool, and cochineal from this 

 port is pretty considerable. Here came on board a Scotch- 

 man named Blackwood, who for some years past had been 

 cultivating cochineal in Truxillo, but was now, as he con- 

 fessed, unable any longer to compete in its production with 

 other countries, in consequence of the price of labour being 

 so high, and the uncertain state of labour-supply. Mr. Black- 

 wood intended proceeding via California to the East Indies, 

 where he hoped to light upon a more suitable field for cochi- 

 neal-growing, the cost of labour there being still low, and 

 there existing a constantly-increasing demand for that sub- 

 stance.* 



* Sefior Emilio Escobar of Lima sent me a small flask of this hitherto little- 

 Ifnown vegetable stuff, which gives very much the same dye as the cochineal insect, 

 and is found in great abundance throughout Peru. I have added this bottle of dye, 

 which at all events merits more minute investigation, to the other collections of the 

 Novara Expedition. 



