164 FLORA OF BRAZIL. 
my Goyaz collections, amounting to upwards of 1,400 
species. Another journey of about a month brought us to 
the capital of the Diamond district, having had to pass 
through a flat and uninteresting country, suffering by day 
from the powerful heat of the sun, and by night from the 
attacks of insects. About three weeks were spent in this 
elevated, rocky and treeless district, so famous for its dia- 
monde ; and certainly no part of Brazil can be more gratifying 
to the Botanist, for let him turn where he will, he knows not — 
what to grasp at first, being lost in admiration among the 
numerous lovely Vellozias, Barbacenias, Melastomacee, Lus- 
emburgias, Andromedas, Vacciniums, Esterhazias, Gerardias, 
Physocalyces, Lupines, Eriocaulons, and the strange pine-like 
Composite which are peculiar to this region. 
After leaving the Diamond district, several weeks were 
spent in the Gold districts, and large collections were obtained 
from the mountains near Cocaes, Gongo Soco, Sabará, Ouro 
Preto, and Marianna. The number of species altogether 
found in Minas Geraes I have not yet been able to deter- 
mine, as my collections from that province remain still unar- 
ranged. Starting from Marianna, about the beginning of 
October, I reached Rio de Janeiro on the 1st of November, 
1840; having thus been occupied on my overland journey 
about two years and four months, and bringing with me all the 
collections which had been made from July, 1839. Three 
months were spent in Rio, arranging part of these to send 
home, and three more were devoted to a second visit to the 
Organ Mountains, where another fine harvest rewarded my 
researches, for the most part different from what had been 
found during my first visit. On this occasion, I made an 
excursion to the banks of the Rio Parahiba, going back by 
Canta Gallo, and the Swiss colony of Novo Friburgo. 0? 
my return to Rio, I had only a few days to prepare for re- 
turning to England, and, early in May, embarked in a ship 
bound for Liverpool, vid Maranham, in the north of Brazil- 
At the latter place, we stopped about three weeks, which 
enabled me to add considerably to my stores. Finally leav- 
ing the shores of Brazil on the 10th of June, I arrived safely 
