1 1 8 Travels and Adventures 



to be found. The most magnificent sight for even the 

 most stoical observer are the immense clumps of Caltleya 

 Mendelii, each new bulb bearing four or five of its 

 gorgeous rose-coloured flowers, many of them growing 

 in the full sun or with very little shade, and possessing 

 a glowing colour which is very difficult to get in the 

 stuffy hot - houses where the plants are cultivated. 

 Some of these plants, considering their size and the 

 slowness of growth, must have taken many years to 

 develop, for I have taken plants from the trees with five 

 hundred bulbs, and as many as one hundred spikes of 

 flowers, which to a lover of orchids is a sight worth 

 travelling from Europe to see. Apart from the few 

 extraordinary specimens, the orchids, as a rule, are 

 very much crowded and mixed up with other vegeta- 

 tion. The accompanying picture, from a photograph 

 taken on the spot, represents a tree growing in its 

 natural state in the forest. The higher branches are 

 covered with a long, white lichen ; a little lower is an 

 immense clump of Tillandsias ; while the branch on 

 the right hand is inhabited by some Oncidiums. The 

 next plant, lower down, is a nice piece of Caltleya 

 Mendelii. The whole of the mountains at the time of 

 my visit were crowded with the famous parasite. Like 

 most of my predecessors, I was tempted to bear away a 

 large quantity of the coveted plants, besides exploring 

 the mountains and enjoying much of their beauty. 



