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itself is very hilly and contains much old pasture-land of no 
great botanical interest. In the ruins of the old stone mansion 
in which Wright lived, several large trees are now growing and 
the walls are covered with a great variety of ferns. The falls of 
Rio Palenque, also known as Monte Verde Falls, were visited 
and some interesting collecting was had in the rich tropical 
forest above the falls, The deep gorge below the falls, which 
is cut through a peculiar stratified formation the like of which 
I had not heretofore seen in Cuba, no doubt affords plant species 
unusually encountered elsewhere. It wasimpracticable, however, 
to make an examination of it at this time. My stay of about 
ten days in this region was under unusually favorable circum- 
stances, as my host, Mr. Charles Maurel, not only provided me 
with unusual comforts, but took the greatest interest in my work 
and accompanied me on most of the excursions made in this 
prolific region. We secured an unusually large number of 
specimens in spite of the almost constantly rainy weather 
encountered while there. 
I returned to Guantanamo, February 28, with a large lot of 
damp or wet material which required several days to dry and 
make ready for shipment to Santiago. Here, Mr. Jennings S. 
Cox, Jr., of the Spanish American Iron Company, supplied me 
with much valuable information concerning some of the places 
visited by previous botanists. He also advised me as to the 
most advantageous route to reach the summit of Gran Piedra, the 
high mountain lying some distance east of Santiago and reported 
to have an altitude of 5,000 feet, which, however, is probably 
somewhat exaggerated. Gran Piedra was approached by way 
of Firmeza, which was reached by the railroad of the Juragua 
Iron Company, whose mines are situated there. Passage on 
the railroad and accommodations at the officers’ clubhouse were 
kindly provided for me by Mr. De Beruirn Whitaker, vice- 
president and general manager of the company, and the various 
officials at the mines advised and entertained me while at Firmeza. 
I started for the mountain top on the morning of February 4 
with a very indifferent guide and a boy, going up steep grassy 
hillsides. Mango in stunted form is frequent and about the only 
