36 ROYAL WATER-LILY. 



ranis, or Caribs, I made acquaintance with Father La 

 Cueva, a Spanish missionary, a good and well-in- 

 formed man, beloved for his patriarchal virtues, and 

 one who earnestly devoted himself to the conversion 

 of the natives. The traveller, after spending a year 

 among Indians, may easily appreciate the pleasure of 

 meeting with a human being who can understand 

 and exchange sentiments with him ; and I eagerly 

 embraced the opportunity of conversing with this 

 venerable old man, who had passed thirty years of 

 his life among the savag-es. In one of our interviews, 

 he happened to mention the famous botanist Haenke, 

 who had been sent by the Spanish government to in- 

 vestigate the vegetable productions of Peru, and the 

 fruit of whose labours has been unfortunately lost 

 to science. Father La Cueva and Hsenke were to- 

 gether in a pirogue upon the Rio Mamore, one of 

 the great tributaries of the Amazon river, when they 

 discovered in the marshes, by the side of the stream, 

 a plant which was so surpassingly beautiful and ex- 

 traordinary, that Hsenke, in a transport of admira- 

 tion, fell on his knees, and expressed aloud his sense 

 of the power and magnificence of the Creator in his 

 works. They halted, and even encamped, purposely 

 near the spot, and quitted it with much reluctance." 

 Well, indeed, might Haenke feel a deep sense of 

 the power and majesty of the Almighty God of na- 

 ture, while beholding the bright blossoms of this ex- 

 traordinary flower ! Well might he be called to his 



