204 NOTES OF A NATURALIST. 



Colorado, but, in fact, I found my time fully occupied 

 during the two days that remained available. The 

 collections of dried plants made up to this time had 

 to be packed securely in the chest in which they were 

 to remain until they reached England, and, as every 

 botanist knows, it is expedient to hasten the process 

 of drying fresh plants as far as possible before going 

 to sea, where the operation is always one of difficulty. 



I was invited to dinner on the day of my arrival by 

 Mr. C , one of the chief English merchants estab- 

 lished in Chili, and acquired some interesting informa- 

 tion from his conversation. Having been at work 

 during a great part of the previous night, I was, 

 however, thoroughly tired, and was able to profit less 

 than I should have done by the hospitable entertain- 

 ment. On the morning of my departure from 

 Cauquenes I had met Mr. Edwin Reed, an English 

 naturalist many years resident in Chili, and by 

 appointment called upon him at his house in Val- 

 paraiso. Mr. Reed has a good knowledge of the 

 botany and zoology of his adopted country, and 

 several hours were agreeably spent on each of the 

 two available days in going through parcels of his 

 duplicate collections, when he was good enough to 

 give me flowering specimens of plants which I had 

 seen only in imperfect condition, as well as of many 

 others from the higher region of the Cordillera which 

 had been entirely inaccessible to me. 



My visit to Chili had now come to an end. All 

 needful preparations were concluded ; and, after a busy 

 morning and an excellent luncheon at the Hotel 

 Colon, I went on board the RJiainses early in the 



