Ciup. XIX. . Mil. SPRUCE'S EXPEDITION. 313 



CHAPTER XIX. 



Mr. Spruce's expedition to procure plants and seeds of the "red bark" 

 . or C. succirubra — I\Ir. Pritcliett iii the Huanuco region, and the 

 " gi-ey barks " — Jlr. Cross's proceedings at Lroxa, and collection of seeds 

 of C Condaminea. 



In a previous chapter I have given au account of the 

 arrangements which I made for procuring the various species 

 of Chinchonae in districts other than that of the Calisaya, 

 and it now remains for me to record the labom-s of those 

 whom I employed on this service, and the successful results 

 with which those labours were rewarded. And first, both in 

 importance and success, stands the expedition of AIi-. Spruce, 

 to collect the seeds and plants of the " red- bark " tree or 

 O. succirubra, of whose services it would be impossible to 

 speak too highly. I may mention, at starting, that he 

 received my first letter, requesting him to undertake the 

 work, on July 2ud, 1859, and such was his zeal that on 

 the 22nd of the same month he was on his way to the 

 chinchona forests, at his own expense, to ascertain the best 

 locality for collecting the plants and seeds. 



The species of chinchona, known as the "red-bark" tree, 

 yields a larger per-centage of febrifugal alkaloid than any 

 other, and must therefore be considered as the most impor- 

 tant.^ Its native forests are on the western slopes of the 

 famous mountain of Chimborazo, in the Eepubhc of Ecuador, 

 and for a great many years it has not been found beyond 

 2^' 36' S. lat., but Mr. Spruce thinks it probable that in 

 tbrmer times the tree grew all along the roots of the Andes 

 of Cueuca and Loxa to the Kmits of the Peruvian desert 



' :Mr. Howard has recently obtained 8'5 per cent, of alkidoids from a spe- 

 cinieu of red bark. 



