CONTRIBUTIONS TO WESTE31N BOTANY NO. lA 95 



time the moso (Mexican guide) had caught him, and began to toggle up 

 the saddle. Finally it was ready 3ind he asked to have me get on again, 

 but I saw the mule was still frightened and doubtless would begin pitch- 

 ing as soon as I got on. So I refused to movint but walked a few miles 

 to the* next ranch, where we swapped «fi my mule Jot a better one. After 

 an hour's waiting here and drinking some good milk, we remounted and 

 the Purgatory of riding began again. The trail was sthe worst one I ever 

 was on, going over and through granite boulders of all sizes, where there 

 was hardly room for a. mule's foot, und where the rocks would scrape our 

 legs as w« went along,' or the brush would tear our clothes. Often the 

 way was so steep that we had to cling to Ae manes to keep from sliding 

 off, or ride on the horn of the saddle to keep from falling over the mule'* 

 head. By night we got to an elevation of 3,500 feet, where a cattle ranch 

 had been once, among the live oaks. Here we wearily slid off our. ^ni- 

 mals, unsaddled and crawled into our blankets. Then came hUf a nldit 

 of agony trying to find a jjJace to lie oa that Hid hot imii. Then a short 

 respite of sleep. The next morning, after a hasty breafasr, 1 .stcirtc^i "ut 

 to reap the rich harvest of botanical specimens that formt-d thi.s vrritnlOe 

 floral paradise. It took the most strenuous work till 4 p/ra. Ufo'f. T h.;.! 

 gathered the flora. Then the ' Check decided that %e ceuM not ?fay ov^r 



would 



La Paz. 



four 



camped in the brush, and the next day we reached Miraflores, lo;idf4 

 down with scientific plunder and dead tired and worn out. Then a i\i?M 

 of real sleep, and the next day a strenuous one taking care of our stuff. 

 This ende(^ my botanizing in 1928. la due thne we rcadbed La Par, )us{ 

 in time to miss the Checko-slav's steamer, an^ to catcli my mvn steamer 

 for San Pedro. I had some trepidation as to howl would get all my I-* 

 big bundles of botanical specimens home. Put I followed my usual cus- 

 tom of sawing wood and putting my stuff on board without ^ny fu.s3. l^e 

 custorrt officials did not bo&er me nor ask aJiy questions, nor d)d the 

 steamer officers list my baggage as ^freight, ^as I had teared they would. 

 The Americans on board, when they saw how well I go along, warje<J 

 me that it would be different ^hen n got to San Tedro. ^^1, at hao 

 Pedro I ^owed my papers and the 'inspector :pas-sed me without queg> 



'^' After a week's rest 1 began sorUng out and labe^iftg my collection, 

 which took me tiH June. Then I bundl^ a complete set <ff all ray plajit.^ 

 Into an auto and struck out for Berkeley to compare my material with that 



of the Brandegee herbarium there. „ . , . j » ■ ^a »ki 



I spent five very busy weeks at Berkeley till 1 had determ^ed the 

 names of most of my species except the new ones. Then, * return 

 Claremont and a systematic study of ill the literature tc ' - 

 consumed the rest of the year. I bad already spent muclt 



whidi 



tJi 



out a complete list of :all -the plants kiiowm to exist m Jhi 

 . 'ru« ^Luortf till flii<;-j»»ii: Ate embodied in this report 



«ntire region. The results of .all !Kis -«eEk 



