334 SAVAXLLLA 1UIATAXY. 



1865. excellent form of the drug exported from New Granada, and 

 commonly known in the market as Savanilla Rhatany. But 

 from what plant this latter drug is derived, or in what part of 

 the vast territory of New Granada it is produced, are points 

 upon which I believe that no definite information has yet been 

 published. 



Having endeavoured during some years past to elucidate these 

 questions but without much success, I gladly took occasion of 

 Mr. Weir's the recent mission to New Granada of Mr. John Weir, collector 

 New Granada. to tne R va l Horticultural Society, to suggest that inquiries 

 should be made at Santa Marta regarding Savanilla Rhatany, 

 and that Mr. Weir should, if possible, visit the locality where 

 the root is collected. The Royal Horticultural Society having 

 accorded permission to Mr. Weir to devote some attention to 

 this object, he soon succeeded in ascertaining that the rhatany 

 in question is obtained from the vicinity of Jiron, a small town 

 lying to the west of Pamplona and about midway between it 

 and the river Magdalena. To this place, Mr. Weir directed his 

 course, arriving there in the latter part of January 1864, when 

 he thus wrote : 



Mr. Weir's "Jan. 3lst. Inquiring to-day where the Rhatany plant was to 

 report. b e found, Mr. L. informs me that in various places among the 

 naked hills and savannahs around, the plant grows in plenty, 

 but none nearer than a short day's journey from Bucaramanga. 

 He told me, also, that he used to export large quantities of the 

 drug, but that he had lost $2000 by the last lot he had sent 

 away, and had not sent any for the last twelve months. I saw, 

 however, a quantity of the root in another house, packed in 

 bags ready to be sent away. 



" Feb. lot. Started this morning for the valley of Jiron. A 

 few leagues above the village of that name the Rhatany was said 

 to be common, much of the root being there dug for export. 



The road lay up the bottom of the valley, following the course 

 of the stream the whole way. Two leagues above the village 

 the plant begins to be frequent, and a league further on there are 

 large tracts covered with it. The soil it grows in is arid, hard, 

 and gravelly in the extreme, so much so that in taking up the 

 root the instrument used is a strong iron crowbar, a little flat- 



