TO THE CINCHONA FORESTS 26; 



intervals by level steppes, rarely exceeding a hundred yards across. 

 The soil, from the summit down to the very plain, is a yellowish 

 or reddish loam, wherein the sandy element prevails in some parts 

 and in others the clayey, and it is of immense thickness, as we 

 could see in the deep gullies worn in the mountain side by UK 

 rains and in the landslips. Angular masses of rock are sparingly 

 embedded in it and scattered on the surface, but rounded pel 

 are rare. 



The vegetation in the pass consisted of Vaccinia (especially 

 V. Martina, Benth.), Gaultheripe, Melastomaceas, Compositre, etc., 

 disposed in compact shrubberies, with intervening grassy glades. 

 But we had scarcely turned the ridge before the forest became 

 dense and continuous, at first low and bushy, but increasing in 

 height at every step. At about 9500 feet we came on the first 

 Cascarilla Serrana or Hill Bark, and it accompanied us down- 

 wards to, perhaps, 8000 feet. It is called indifferently Cuchicara 

 and Pata de Gallinazo, which I believe to be terms merely in- 

 dicative of the relative facility with which the bark may be stripped 

 off in different individuals, either of the same or of various 

 species. 



At 3 P.M. we reached the Rio de Tablas, a considerable stream 

 of clear water, foaming over large stones ; its roar had been audible 

 tor the last hour of our steep descent. We crossed it, and on a 

 deserted clearing of some two acres drew up for the night, uniting 

 all our rubber ponchos to make a fall-to roof, to shield us from 

 the night dews. The animals were turned loose to graze on the 

 scanty grass in the clearing and on the leaves of a Chus<iue;i on 

 the edge of the forest. 



I have nowhere seen Melastomacese so abundant as in the 

 forest surrounding our encampment. One species grows to a 

 stout tree 40 feet high, and bears large pendulous panicles (a 

 novel feature to me in this order) of blood-red flowers, with large 

 turgid yellow anthers. A lower spreading tree, apparently a 

 Pleroma, bore numerous large violet flowers. Other smaller 

 sarmentose species had also large rose or violet flowers. Alto- 

 gether, I have never seen so gay a forest vegetation, e\<vpt on the 

 river Uaupes. 



\Ve were still in a rather cool region, but the night was dr\ and 

 the wind very slight, so that we had not to complain of cold. After 

 an early breakfast the next morning, we fallowed our way, \\hich 

 became still narrower and rougher as we proceeded. \\'c had to 

 climb the high ridge separating the valley of the Rio de Tabla^ 

 from that of the Chasuan, and then to descend to the latter rivt. r. 

 but there were many subsidiary ridges, with intervening hollou-. 

 or sometimes nearly level crossings (called travesias). The ti 

 in the precipitous ascents and descents is mostly a gully uorn 

 in the soft loamy soil by the transit of men and beasts, to the 



