THE VOYAGE. 15 
the delicate beak, just blushed with carmine, in 
contact with the snowy breast. Meekness and 
innocence seem embodied in this singular freak 
of nature; and who can marvel that crafty priests, 
ever watchful for any phenomenon convertible 
into the miraculous, should have knelt before this 
wondrous flower, and trained the minds of the 
superstitious natives to accept the title the 
‘Flower of the Holy Ghost,’ to gaze upon with 
awe and reverence, sanctifying even the rotten 
wood from which it springs, and the air laden 
with its exquisite perfume? But it is the flower 
alone I fear they worship; their minds ascend 
not from ‘nature up to nature’s God;’ the image 
only is bowed down to, not He who made it. 
The stalks of the plant are jointed, and attain a 
height of from six to seven feet, and from each 
joint spring two lanceolate leaves; the time of 
flowering is in June and July. 
We were to have a special train (the cost 
of crossing the isthmus was something enor- 
mous—the actual amount I do not now re- 
member); and as we were most desirous to see as 
much of the country as possible, an open goods- 
truck was appropriated to our use, in which we 
could stand, and have a full peep at everything 
as we steamed along. Whilst the train was 
