204 NOTES OF A BOTANIST 



that to be there without either money or lucrative 

 employment is a contingency not to be reflected on 

 without dread. On the other hand, I already feel 

 myself unequal to the painful mountain ascents, 

 exposed at the same time to a burning sun and a 

 piercingly cold wind. The eastern slopes of the 

 Andes no doubt contain much fine ground, but for 

 want of roads they can scarcely be explored, except 

 by one to whom the pecuniary value of his collec- 

 tions would be no object, and who could go to any 

 amount of expense. I have often wished I could 

 get some consular appointment here, were it only 

 of ^"150 a year; but I have no powerful friends, 

 without which a familiarity with the country, the 

 inhabitants, and the languages go for little. A 

 person is much wanted to watch over the interests 

 of Europeans on the Upper Amazon, but I can 

 hardly suggest a station for him which would not 

 be liable to some objection, and an itinerating consul 

 is something I have never heard of, though it would 

 really be very useful here. The Brazilians have a 

 vice-consul in Moyobamba. The French have a 

 vice-consul in Santarem and another in the Barra 

 do Rio Negro. 



To Sir William Hooker 



AMBATO, March 24, 1858. 



. . . Several friendly letters have passed between 

 Dr. Jameson and myself, but I have not yet had the 

 pleasure of meeting him. The upper part of the 

 Rio Napo (where is the Indian village of Archi- 

 dona), which Jameson has lately explored, is nearly 

 parallel to the upper part of the Pastasa (and at no 



