THE GHOSTLY PLANTS. 81 



seemed to pursue him. This circumstance afforded Hum- 

 boldt the means of making a drawing of this oird, which 

 had previously been unknown to naturalists. 



In this part of the cavern, the rivulet deposited a 

 blackish mould. They could not discover whether it 

 fell through the cracks which communicated with the 

 surface of the ground above, or was washed down by the 

 rain-water penetrating into the cavern. They walked in 

 thick mud to a spot where they beheld with astonish- 

 ment the progress of subterranean vegetation. The seeds 

 which the birds had carried into the grotto to feed their 

 young, had sprung up wherever they could fix in the 

 mould which covered the incrustations. Blanched stalks, 

 with some half-formed leaves, had risen to the height of 

 two feet. It was impossible to ascertain the species 

 of these plants, their form, colour, and aspect having 

 been changed by the absence of light. These traces of 

 organization amidst darkness forcibly excited the curi- 

 osity of the natives, who examined them with silent 

 meditation inspired by a place they seemed to dread. 

 They regarded these subterranean plants, pale and de- 

 formed, as phantoms banished from the face of the earth. 

 To Humboldt the scene recalled one of the happiest 

 periods of his youth — his abode in the mines of Frey- 

 berg, where he had made experiments on the effects of 

 blanching. 



The missionaries, with all their authority, could not 

 prevail on the Indians to penetrate farther into the ca- 

 vern. As the roof became lower the cries of the guacha- 

 ros were more and more shrill. The travellers were 

 obliged to yield to the pusillanimity of their guides, and 

 retrace their steps. 



4* 



