CWAP. XVI. LYCOPODIUMS AND OTHER PLANTS. 439 



had felt so much interest in the sociable and apparently gentle 

 animal on board our ship, that I should have been glad to 

 have seen some of its species in their own forest homes ; but 

 though numljers were evidently near, none of them came 

 within sight. 



Soon after crossing the first river in the forest, I saw some 

 beautiful lycopodiums growing near the margin of the stream ; 

 and I always found them growing more luxuriantly near the 

 water than in any other place. I immediately left my palan- 

 quin in order to examine them. They had the habit of L. 

 urnbrosum, but more open. I dug up a number of the plants, 

 kneading the clayey soil in which they were growing into a 

 sort of ball, and giving the man who was carrying my plants 

 special charges respecting them. I then walked on for about 

 an hour, when I found large clusters of delicate ferns, very 

 much like Adiantinn tenuifoliuni, but more compact, differ- 

 ing also in other respects, and new to me. I gathered as many 

 of the ripe ferns as I could ; and soon afterwards found some 

 plants with delicately-pencilled and variegated leaves, and 

 dwarf succulent stems. The leaves greatly resembled those 

 of the echites, though the habit of the plant was herbaceous, 

 and not shrubby. 



This part of my journey was perfect enjoyment. The 

 slipperiness of the clayey path, or of the smooth, round, inter- 

 laced roots of the gigantic trees, and the wet and tangled 

 brushwood, with occasional piles or fragments of rock, were 

 scarcely felt to be impediments, under the influence of the 

 pleasure produced by the frequent appearance of a new plant 

 or flower of beauty or rarity. But by nine o'clock it began 

 to rain ; ^ud considering that two of my fellow-travellers 

 were suffering from fever, and that we had stiU the most 

 dangerous districts to pass, I was obliged, not perhaps without 

 a slight feeling of disappointment, to relinquish ray pleasant 

 piu'suit, and seek the shelter of the palanquin. 



F F 4 



