CHAP. XI. NEW AND BEAUTIFUL PLANTS. 307 



up or doNVTi the most difficult places, it required at times, 

 during this part of the journey, the whole eight bearers to 

 keep the palanquin upright, and to prevent the whole of us 

 from being precipitated down the steep declivity before us, or 

 over the precipice on our side. 



I had walked over two hollows, had ascended and descended 

 two of the highest ridges we had passed during the day, and 

 had seen much that was new amongst the vegetable produc- 

 tions of the country. There were, however, only few orchids, 

 but amongst them was an angrsecum new to me, with bright 

 yellow flowers. I obtained one or two specimens, which I 

 gave to a young chief, who considerately offered to carry 

 them for me ; but when we reached the end of the journey I 

 found that, deeming them of no particular value, he had throwTi 

 them away on the road. I saw a number of ferns and lyco- 

 podiums in the hollows, but only obtained one or two fronds of 

 a species somewhat resembling Adiantum trapeziforme. I 

 noticed some beautiful small variegated plants grooving in the 

 damp places at the roots of the forest trees, bearing claret- 

 coloured leaves, veined with gold, like those of echites, though 

 the plant was not shrubby. 



As we arrived at our halting-place rather early, and the 

 weather was fair, I could not refrain from going into the adja- 

 cent dells in search of plants. A species of justicia covered 

 much of the ground, which greatly resembled one of the kinds 

 cultivated in England, though the flower was scarcely so good. 

 The only rarities I met with was a new lycopodium, some- 

 what resembling L. umbrosum, but larger, and a pretty 

 creeping fern. 



In passing over a part of the country, where the gigantic 

 heath was abundant, I observed before me a large heap, as 

 much as one or two cart loads, of withered branches lying in 

 the middle of the way, and I noticed that each of the bearers, 

 as he approached the place, plucked a large branch, or pulled 



X 2 



