'?22 



MR. PllITCHETT'8 EXPEDITION— Chai-. XIX. 



to the narrative of his proceedings, and his observations on 

 the " red-bark " tree, Mr. Spruce here gives a minute account 

 of the vegetation of the " red-bark " forests of Chimborazo, a 

 detailed meteorological journal, and important remarks on 

 the climate and soil.^ 



My apprehensions respecting the feelings of the natives, 

 when our proceedings became known, were fully justified by 

 what took place in Ecuador, as well as in Peru. But the 

 South Americans are, as a rule, remarkable for the slowness- 

 of their movements ; and it was not until May 1st, 1861, that 

 the legislature of Ecuador decreed that every person, whether 

 foreigner or native, should be forbidden to make collections 

 of plants, cuttings, or seeds of the quina-tree ; and that pre- 

 cautions should be taken to prevent those articles from 

 passing the ports and frontiers of the Republic. A fine of 

 100 dollars on every plant, and every drachm of seed, was 

 imposed on those who attempted to break this decree. But 

 by May 1st, 1861, the plants and seeds of the quina-tree were 

 safe on the Neilgherry hills, in Southern India. 



Wliile Mr. Spruce was engaged in collecting these seeds 

 and plants in the forests at the foot of Chimborazo, Mr. 

 Pritchett, whose services I had secured for the Huanuco 

 region in Northern Peru, was employed on the species of 

 chinchonae yielding grey bark. 



Mr. Pritchett left Lima on the 18th of May, 1860, and 

 arrived in the town of Huanuco, the centre of the grey-bark 

 region, on the 28th, where he made the necessary prepara- 

 tions for a journey into the neighbom-ing forests. On the 9th 

 of June he set out for the mountain-range of Carpis, to the 

 northward, where there are several species of chinchonae. The 



5 1. JVo^es o/ a visit to the Chinchona 

 ForeMs, by R. Spruce, Esq., printed by 

 the Liniiaiau Society, vol. iv. of their 

 Proceedings. 



2. Mr. Spruce's Repm-t to the Under 

 Sec.relari/ of State for India, Oct. 12, 



1860. 



3. Report of the Expedition to pro- 

 cure Plants and Seeds of the Chinchotia 

 succirubra, by R. Spruce, Esq., Sept. 

 22, 1861. 



