252 Information respecting Botanical Travellers. 



which the young leaves produce and which gives origin to the spe- 

 cific name, I have obtained some good specimens for you. 



On the morning of the 3rd of August I started for Ico, in company 

 with the MM. Pinto, but by an awkward mistake of my black servant 

 I only travelled with them for one day. On the second morning, 

 setting oiF before daybreak and in the hurry of departure, the man 

 caught a mare of the same size and colour as my riding horse, and it 

 was 9 o'clock before the mistake was discovered. It was then necessary 

 to halt and send back for my beast, a distance of 3 leagues ; but I 

 was not sorry for this, as the Pintos travelled at full speed, thus pre- 

 venting me from gathering several plants which I saw by the way- 

 side. They accomplished the distance in five days and a half, and 

 I in eight. I however travelled more at ease, and made a small col- 

 lection of plants. At this season the road is as good as the common 

 roads in England. For the first two-thirds of the way the ground is 

 level, but the latter part is more undulating and rocky, in conse- 

 quence of being traversed by several small sierras. Nearer Aracaty 

 the vegetation consists chiefly of Carnahuba palms, mixed occasion- 

 ally with small trees, such as Patagonula americana, Linn., called 

 Pao-branco, from its large clusters of white flowers, a species of Zi% 

 zyphus, several Mimosas, and a small tree to which the natives give 

 the name of Pereira. The latter I did not see in flower, but it has 

 a superior fruit, formed of two woody valves, dehiscent from top to 

 bottom, one-celled, many-seeded, the seeds broadly winged and sus- 

 pended from the summit of the valves. The fruit is of an obovate 

 form, nearly 3 inches long and 1^ inch broad. The country further 

 up, which as I before remarked is more undulating, consists of large 

 open places (vargems) almost destitute of vegetation, extensive tracts 

 being, however, covered with small trees and shrubs (Catingas), all 

 of which are deciduous, the heat and drought producing the same 

 effect on foliage here as the cold does in the north of Europe. 



On my arrival at Ico I found that my friends the Pintos had pre- 

 pared an empty dwelling belonging to them for my reception. In 

 consequence of the non-arrival of my trunks, which were delayed by 

 the breaking down of the waggon which conveyed them, I was how- 

 ever detained here, as they only came three days ago. The town of 

 Ico is of considerable size, containing about 7000 inhabitants, and 

 situated in a plain, from which all vegetation has already disappeared, 

 though it is not long since the rains have ceased. Of course there is 

 little for me to do here, but I am assured by everyone that the case is 

 quite otherwise at Crato, about 100 miles higher up the country, a 

 town situated at the foot of the mountains which divide this province 



