FORESTS OF AMERICA. 171 



tance the vapours that are distributed throughout 

 the air. 



Scarcely can the native of a temperate zone pic- 

 ture to himself the beauty and magnificence of those 

 noble trees which adorn the vast forests of equinoc- 

 tial America. Such as attain the most stupendous 

 height and size, are often covered with a profusion 

 of climbing plants, and even the same lianas which 

 trail in a different latitude upon the ground, run up 

 the giant stems, till they reach the topmost branches, 

 and pass from one to the other, presenting 

 their gaily tinted blossoms to the air and light. 

 Hence it often happens, that the botanist confounds 

 the flowers, fruits, and leaves, which belong to dif- 

 ferent species, because he cannot separate the inter- 

 laced plants. The traveller who presses on amid 

 the continually recurring luxuriance of vegetation, 

 till he reaches the banks of the Cassiquiare, where 

 that river branches off from the Oroonoko, would 

 soon forget all which had before astonished or de- 

 lighted him in the aspect of its stupendous forests. 

 There is no longer any breach; a living palisade of 

 tufted trees skirts the noble river. That river is at 

 least four hundred and twenty-six yards across, and 

 on either side extend two enormous barriers, clothed 

 with foliage and lianas. To penetrate them is im- 

 possible. Humboldt, to whom we owe the interest- 

 ing narrative, endeavoured to land with his com- 

 panions, but was unable to step out of the boat. 

 They sailed down the river for some time, hoping, 

 to discover, not an opening, for none existed, but 

 a spot less wooded, where the Indians might gain, 

 by means of their hatchets and manual labour, 



