290 POPULAR GEOGRAPHY OF PLANTS. 



beautiful purple flowers of the wild Thyme cover large spaces 

 of our sandy districts at home ; and interspersed with these 

 grow tufts of Bolax, and a few other plants. Often whilst 

 we pluck these flowers, as we rest awhile on our long jour- 

 ney, we raise our eyes to the still distant inner chain of the' 

 Andes, and wish ourselves on the other side, amongst all 

 the beautiful sights which we know we shall meet with 

 there. 



The descent on tbe eastern side of this chain is fearfully 

 precipitous till we reach the region of forest-trees, where it 

 becomes more gradual, and from hence we may observe in 

 the distance how the last mountain-ridges mingle with and 

 subside into the undulations of the plains in the interior. 

 Here, in this forest region, we are rejoiced with the sight of 

 a combination of all those majestic forms and brilliant co- 

 lours which Nature only wears within the tropics. Perhaps 

 no region on the mountains can surpass in elegance that of 

 the Tree-ferns, with which we first again renew our ac- 

 quaintance at the height of some 3800 or 3600 feet. 



On this side of the Andes "innumerable streams descend 

 from the snow on the summits, and dash hastily down the 

 precipitous mountain-sides ; these are the first origin of the 

 principal rivers of the continent. At first, like a milky 



