10 
The country up to this time had been hilly, but no great eleva- 
tion had been reached until about noon, when we began the 
ascent of Buena Vista, which is the highest point between the 
north and south coasts of the island. On reaching the topa 
wonderful panorama stretched out in all directions. To the 
north lay all the vast tract of forest land through which we had 
come, and towards our destination at the south we could make 
out the beginning of the great level savannah country far below. 
Buena Vista is at approximately 1,500 feet. We pushed on 
that day to a little hamlet on the edge of the savannah called 
La Yerbabuena and here rested for the night. During all the 
ride from E] Valle, which, by the way, was over inconceivably bad 
trails, we had passed three people and four houses. Otherwise 
the country is apparently uninhabited. 
The following day at two in the morning we started under a 
ha moon and after a ride of some thirty miles reached Consuelo. 
Th 
t five hours of this stage of the journey were spent in 
"oO 
ringa 
a tiny collection of huts near the edge of the plain, we entered 
another long stretch of forest, through which we travelled for 
about two hours until we came to the cane-fields. On the score 
of plants collected the overland trip cannot be considered profit- 
It was, however, exceedingly valuable as a means of 
getting a definite idea of the configuration of the country and 
of the typical plant formations that exist in the interior of Santo 
Domingo. 
From November 3 to 29 all the collections were made, with 
some exceptions to be noted presently, within a short distance of 
Consuelo. This is a sugar-estate of 40,000 acres of which about 
7,000 are under cultivation. Most of the remaining territory is 
wild country, if not, indeed, first growth forest. There are about 
fifty miles of connecting railway on the estate, and it is with much 
appreciation that I record the kindness of the administrative 
officials of Consuelo in putting this and their tug at my disposal. 
Without these ready means of transportation, and without their 
helpful codperation, the expedition must have lost much valuable 
