ME. weir's journal. 567 



one from Campinas, and is now in the valley of the river.. I 

 am also informed that there are many plants to be found round 

 Itu, which are not found elsewhere. 



My plan is to make a long journey into the interior of the 

 country, keeping as much as possible in uncultivated tracks, and 

 staying for a short time at the various stations on the way for the 

 purpose of examining the forest or campo in the neighbourhood 

 of each, and marking such things as may be worthy of cultivation 

 for future collection. 



Dec. 7th. — Left Campinas. The road, for a mile or two, passes 

 over an undulating campo ; it then enters a more wooded track, 

 with coffee plantations. In the afternoon arrived at the fazenda of 

 Dr. Antonio Fonseca, a gentleman whom I had met in Campinas, 

 and who had invited me to make his house a stage when I went 

 to Itu, and to stay a day or two, if I thought it worth while, and 

 as there are some virgin forests near his fazenda, I will stay for a 

 day or two and look through part of it. 



Dec, Sth, — Went through a part of the forest to day, but met 

 with nothing to collect. There is a large species of Orchid 

 (perhaps a Catasetum), common on the trees here, but it is not in 

 flo\^er at present. 



Dec. 9th, — Had another unsuccessful day in the forest. I find 

 that there is by no means the variety of plants in the woods here 

 that are to be found in the forests of the Serra. 



Oa the margins of a small river, called the Capivari, whicl 

 flows through the Doctors fazenda, Nos. 103 {Stachytarpheta sp.) 

 and 104 {Cassia sj).) grow plentifully ; the former is a herba- 

 ceous Acantha(IJ with blue flowers ; the latter a legnminous 

 shrub, 3 to 4 feet in height. 



Dec, lOth. — Started this morning for Itu. In the early part 



of the day the road lay through a wooded country. In the 



' afternoon we passed over an extensive open campo, which continues 



to the very edge of the river Tiete. The road crosses the river by 



■ a wooden bridge, about three miles from the village of Itu. Imme- 

 diately below the bridge is the Salto, or falls of Itu. I had not 

 time, however, to stop and examine them to-day. The bed of 

 the river, at the bridge, is full of large blocks of red granite^ and 

 on its south bank are many huge boulders of the same stone 

 sticking up above the surface of the soil. 



Dec. 11th. — Employed within doors the greater part of the 



■ day. Saw, for the first time, the operations of gathering, drying, 

 and preparing the leaves of the tea plant for the market. Itu is 



I 



