VARIED NATURAL PHENOMENA. 55 



garnered all her most varied and choicest produc- 

 tions in one spot, so exuberantly luxurious is the 

 vegetation. Is he a naturalist, a collector, or 

 simply a lover and observer of the character and 

 habits of the different fer(B natiirce ? This dis- 

 trict affords a greater variety of animals than any 

 other in the known world. Is he a geologist \ In 

 the ravines and deep chasms that intersect this 

 region, violent convulsions of Nature have laid bare 

 the most hidden strata of the earth. Is he an 

 astronomer \ What earthly observatory can be 

 compared to these mountains for watching the 

 heavenly bodies, on which the pure translucent 

 atmosphere has the effect of magnifying every 

 star, revealing constellations that are invisible from 

 the plain \ Is he fond of wild adventure and en- 

 terprise \ Here are unexplored regions where man 

 has never trod. Is he ambitious of gaining wealth? 

 Gold is mingled with the sand of many of the 

 rivers, valuable metals and gems have been found 

 in the mountains, and the immense resources of 

 the forest only require to be developed to produce 

 incalculable riches. Is he a lover of the comfort- 



