AMAZONIAN VEGETATION 345 



Cinchona forest to the west of Chimborazo, for 

 days, weeks, or even months at a time, and never 

 makes any mention, on his return, of any injury by 

 damp, insects, etc., to his plants or his books, he 

 was evidently sharing a house with some family 

 (or renting an adjoining house), where he himself 

 and all his belongings were carefully attended to. 

 This mystery is now cleared up by a series of letters 

 to Mr. Daniel Hanbury, enclosing translations of 

 letters he had received from his old landlord in 

 Ambato, Manuel Santander, to whom Spruce 

 promises to write (at Mr. Hanbury's request), with 

 a commission to obtain, if possible, dried specimens 

 of the flowers, fruit, and foliage of the "Quito 

 Cinnamon." The result of Santander's repeated 

 attempts for over two years was a small quantity 

 of branches with leaves only, which are now pre- 

 served in the Herbarium of the Pharmaceutical 

 Society. 



On inquiry, I have learnt that no authentic 

 specimens exist at Kew, and, presumably, there are 

 none in any other European herbaria, so that the 

 tree producing this cinnamon-like bark is still 

 botanically unknown. 



Santander's letters show the great and genuine 

 affection which Spruce had inspired in this excellent 

 man and his whole family.] 



SPRUCE'S ACCOUNT OK SAXTANDKR 

 {Letter to j\Ir. Daniel H anbury ^ Feb. i, 1866) 



Santander is a remarkable man, In youth 

 he was a soldier, and rose to be a captain. He 



