ME. H-IETWECS JOURNAL OF A MISSION TO CALIFORNIA. 181 



Orizaba, commands a fine view of the lowlands of Vera Cruz. 

 Having only a short time to spend here, I made an excursion to 

 the colder district of Orizaba, by passing through a deep ravine 

 to the village of Chichiquila. Here I found a Magnolia, form- 

 ing a large tree with oblong shining leaves, several species of 

 oaks, Ganya macrophylla, Cobaea scandens, Lophospermum 

 scandens, two species of Viburnum, a Cornus, Tilia mexicana, 

 a Juniper forming a small tree, Pinus Pseudo-strobus, and P. 

 Llaveana, the latter with rather more elongated cones than those 

 found near Zimapan. 



On the 29th of November, I arrived at Jalapa, and taking 

 the diligence for Mexico, I arrived in the capital on the 3rd of 

 December. After a stay of two days, during which time I de- 

 livered my letters of introduction, I left for the Hacienda de 

 Laureles, near Anganguco, where seven years previously I 

 found Acliimenes patens and heterophylla, the objects of this 

 journey. Notwithstanding I recollected the locality where I 

 saw them in flower in September, 1838, yet I had great difticulty 

 in finding the roots, for not a leaf, however shrivelled up, could 

 be seen. Under these circumstances I consider myself very for- 

 tunate in having found roots of some species of Achimenes, but 

 whether of A. patens or heterophylla, or both, I must leave un- 

 decided. [It has proved to be A. patens only.] 



On Saturday the 13th I returned to Mexico ; on the 15th I 

 was obliged to be present in clearing my luggage at the custom- 

 house. On the 16th I went in search of Abies hirtella, of which 

 Humboldt gives the locality at ' El Guarda,' an insignificant 

 military post on the road to Cuernavaca, at a distance of thirty 

 miles from the capital. El Guarda is situated on a lofty plain ; 

 the only silver firs within view are on the mountain half a mile 

 to the south ; this is a little wood covering only the north side of 

 the hill, and consists entirely of Abies religiosa. From in- 

 quiries I made at El Guarda respecting another silver fir grow- 

 ing about there, I could learn nothing satisfactory. From my 

 own experience I am sure that it does not grow, if at all, within 

 six miles of El Guarda. 



This excursion, however, has not been fruitless, for I found 

 near Ajusco a Pine I had never seen before, and which I suspect 

 to be Loudon's Pinus Montezumse, it has the same glaucous 

 appearance as P. Montezumse in the Society's Garden, but shorter 

 leaves, smaller and more pointed cones. It forms a tree of 

 about 40 feet high, and from the upright leaves and habit in 

 general, it has much the appearance of Pinus Pinea. 



On December the l7th I returned to Mexico, and called the 

 following day upon H. B. M.'s Minister, Mr. Bankhead, 

 through whose influence I obtained some letters of introduction 



