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would be impracticable to go to the summit for several days; 
consequently the morning was spent in collecting among the 
oothills, but as it still continued to rain, thus decreasing the 
prospects of an early ascent, and as the intervening streams 
would respond accordingly and probably make it impossible to 
return to Baracoa when desired, it seemed best to return at once. 
On the way back we found that Rio Duaba had risen considerably 
and was unfordable afoot. Fortunately a friendly Cuban with 
a mule happened along and assisted us in crossing and Baracoa 
was reached about dusk. 
Through the kindly offices of Mr. J. G. Diesend, of the Baracoa 
Fruit Company, passage was secured to Rio Yamuri on a passing 
facilitated my work among the high coastal cliffs and deep river 
gorge in the vicinity, also the region eastward to Cape Maisi, 
from which I returned by a more southerly route to Rio Yamuri 
and finally, after a delay of some three days due to flooded 
streams, returned overland to Baracoa, passing through Mata, 
a small hamlet situated on a beautiful little bay of the same 
name, This is undoubtedly the Mata referred to by Charles 
Wright in a letter to Dr. Asa Gray from Baracoa. 
On December 18, I started on another and more successful 
attempt to reach the summit of El Yunque, which was accom- 
plished the following day, but as there was attractive collecting 
all the way up, there was little opportunity to explore much of 
the top, which is flat and mostly covered with a second growth 
of shrubbery, having been a caffetal previous to the Ten Years 
War. 
Another opportunity to get into the Sierra de Moa region, 
from which so much interesting material was secured the previous 
winter, presented itself on December 22, Mr. Rees having invited 
me to accompany him to Camp La Gloria of the Piloto mining 
properties. The trip westward along the north coast by a small 
motor boat to a point on Moa Bay was a very rough one, but 
the route into the mountains was over a much better trail than 
