582 MR. weir's journal. 



they may be ascended. I went over most of the accessible parts 

 of these hills to-day, but with no success as to plants fit for cul- 

 tivation. In the patches of forest which cover the sloping parts, 

 I saw many plants of a species of Vanilla creeping up the trees, 

 but none of them were in flower. The parasite, No. 160 (Loran- 

 thus sp.), grows plentifully here on trees of the Vochya, No. 157. 

 The flowers are large, of a bright yellow colour, and are beautiful ; 

 but I fear the plant would be rather difficult of cultivation. No. 

 161 is a small tree (Cassia sp.), growing near the base of the 

 hills; and Nos. 162 (Ciipliea sp,) and 163 (Helicteres sp,) are 

 from the same situation. No. 164 (Hyptis sp.) is a curious Labiate 

 from tlic campo, and No. 165 {Eugenia sp.) is a small myr- 

 taceous tree, also from the campo near the base of the hills. 



Jan. 10th. — Had another day's scrambling in the Serra, but 

 without any good result. The afternoon wet and disagreeable, 

 with much thunder. Have determined to start to-morrow for 

 the westward. The village of Brotas will perhaps be my next 

 halting-place, but if the place is not likely to yield me anything, 

 J will go on for the west. Brotas is 5 or 6 leagues from this 

 place. I may mention that a Portuguese league is exactly 3-j%- 

 miles English. 



Jan. llth, — Left Capillinha da Serra. The road from this 

 place for Brotas, after passing about a league over the table land 

 above the Serra, again descends to the level campo, and continues 

 to lead along for another league and a half near the base of the 

 precipitous rocky face which the Serra here presents. To the 

 right of the path, and at a distance of about half a mile, there is 

 another detached ridge of rocky hills, of somewhat less altitude 

 than those I have already spoken of, and almost entirely desti- 

 tute of vegetation. The summit of this range is broken into a 

 number of sharp fantastic peaks, which give it the appearance of 

 being a mountain chain in miniature, of artificial origin. Soon 

 after passing this the road leaves the Serra to the left, or rather 

 the Serra leaves the road, for the latter continues in a westerly 

 direction while the former takes a turn towards the South. 



Late in the afternoon we reached the village of Brotas. 



Jan. I'Hth. — A very wet morning, with much thunder. In 

 the afternoon I went out to see a waterfall in the river Jacare 

 Pipira which flows past the village. The fall consists of two 

 leaps, the first of about 30 feet, the other about 20. On the wet 

 rock near the fall, I found a species of Oesnera growing, but not in 

 flower, and also an Orchid {Stanhopea sp.) some plants of which 



