STORY OF CYPRIPEDIUM SPICERIANUM 217 



There was no need of finesse, however. At a word the 

 manager told everything. He it was who found the Cypri- 

 pedium which had caused such a fuss, when shooting on the 

 other side of the river — that is, beyond British territory. 

 Struck with its beauty, he gathered a plant or two and gave 

 them to Mr. Spicer. It took him several days' journey to 

 reach the spot, but he was shooting by the way. Tigers 

 abounded there — so did fever. The mountaineers were as 

 unfriendly as they dared to be. For these reasons Mr. 

 Spicer begged him not to return. The same motive, doubt- 

 Jess, caused the planter to be reticent towards others. 



With a clear conscience and heartiest thanks Forstermann 

 bade his host farewell next day. He had a long and painful 

 search before him still, for his informant could give no more 

 than general directions. The plant grew upon rocks along 

 the bed of a stream to the north-west of Mr. Spicer's planta- 

 tion, not less than two days' journey from the river — that 

 was about all. The inhabitants of the country, besides tigers, 

 were savages. 



Many a stream did Forstermann explore under the most 

 uncomfortable circumstances, wading thigh-deep, hour after 

 hour, day after day. I am sorry that I have not room even 

 to summarise the long letter in which he detailed those 

 adventures. 



To search the upland waters would have been compara- 

 tively easy ; he might have walked along the bank. But the 

 Cypripedium grew in a valley ; and nowhere is tropical 

 vegetation more dense than in those steaming clefts which 

 fall from the mountains of Bhutan. To cut a path was 

 out of the question ; the work would have lasted for months, 

 putting expense aside. It was necessary to march up the 

 bed of the stream. 



Forstermann ascended each tributary with patient hopeful- 

 ness, knowing that success was certain if he could hold out. 



