52 LILIES. 
could not have felt more rapture at his Egyptian dis 
coveries, than I did in beholding the beautiful and 
novel sight before me, such as it has fallen to the lot 
of few Englishmen to witness. Fain would I have 
plunged into the lake to have procured specimens of 
the magnificent flowers and leaves; but knowing that 
these waters abounded in alligators, I was deterred 
from doing so by the advice of my guide, and my 
own experience of similar places. 
“‘T now turned over in my thoughts how and in 
what way flowers and leaves might be obtained; and 
I clearly saw that a canoe was necessary, and there- 
fore returned promptly to the town, and communi- 
cated my discovery and wants to the Correjidor or 
Governor, who with much kindness immediately or- 
dered the Cacique to send Indians with a yoke of 
oxen for the purpose of drawing a canoe from the 
river Yacuma to the lake. Being apprised that the 
canoe was in readiness, I returned in the afternoon, 
with several Indians to assist in carrying home the 
expected prize of leaves and flowers. The canoe 
being very small, only three persons could embark ; 
myself in the middle, and an Indian in the bows and 
stern. In this tottering little bark we rowed amongst 
magnificent leaves and flowers, crushing unavoidably 
some, and selecting only such as pleased me. The 
leaves being so enormous, I could find room in the 
canoe but for two, one before me and one behind; 
owing to their being very fragile, even in the green 
state, care was necessary to transport them; and thus 
we had to make several trips in the canoe before I 
