176 BLUEFIELDS. 



blowing Cereus {Cereus grandijlora), is another notable 

 example of the same prevalent odour. The long 

 trailing stems of this Cactus are very commonly seen 

 in the lowlands, sprawling to a great length over the 

 stone fences, hanging in irregular festoons from the 

 forks and limbs of the trees, the great Cotton-tree in 

 particular, and intertwining its tough and prickly 

 vines among the shrubs, helping to give the woods 

 that formidable, repellent, impenetrable character 

 which a tropic "bush" is known to present. The 

 magnificent flowers are, however, rarely seen ; the 

 plant seems to be a shy bloomer ; and when the 

 blossoms do meet the eye it is in nine cases out of 

 ten either as unexpanded buds, or in that miserable 

 drenched condition, which the flowers of a Cactus 

 always assume when fading, looking exactly as if 

 they had been dragged through boiling water. In 

 order to see it in perfection, one must make it open 

 in the house, or visit it at midnight, which is in- 

 convenient. I have several times marked a maturing 

 bud, and when it appeared nearly ready to burst, 

 cut a few inches of the stem on each side, and brought 

 it within doors. Soon after dark it begins to open, 

 and towards midnight expands in its noble beauty, 

 a disk six inches in diameter, very double, the ex- 

 terior rows of petals of a yellowish-brown hue, 

 gradually paling in tint to the centre, where the 

 petals are of the purest white. Meanwhile the de- 

 licious clove-like perfume is difi*used in such abun- 

 dance, that a delicate person can scarcely sit in the 

 room, and the very house is filled with it from one 

 end to the other. In the morning beauty and 



