302 
natives a kind of snuff; several Anemones 
and Loasas, of the branching kind, far 
more dreadfully stinging than are the nu- 
merous and comparatively disregarded and 
innocuous Nettles of the hotter American 
districts, Daphnes and dwarf Escallonias 
surround the traveller as he emerges from 
the higher woods. Then comes a new zone 
of this abundant vegetation, while a glance 
down the giddy steep enables the Naturalist 
to descry, even by the different shades of 
green, the separate regions of plants which 
he has passed, and which no where rise 
with greater regularity and more accurate- 
defined, than they do in these Andes. 
Europe, if the mild air, the deep blue 
sky over head, and, between the thick wo- 
ven trees that cover the ground, levelled 
by the winter’s storms, the violet Amaryllis 
and variously tinted Alstreemerias, did not 
severally appear to dispel the delusion in 
which the wanderer may have indulged. 
It is a work of no small labour to force 
one’s way through the tangled growth, that 
insidiously envelopes many a sharp stone 
and many a deep cleft; but no danger is 
here to be apprehended from poisonous 
snakes, gigantic stinging ants, or any of 
those numberless tribes of noxious animals 
which inhabit tropical climes; as none of 
them exist in this highly favoured region. 
Now the last shrub is passed, and the 
ground becomes more stony, while the 
increasing purity and coldness of the air 
cause every respiration to be drawn with 
a sensation of positive delight. 
treasures here burst upon the view, and 
reward the adventurous mountaineer, who 
is often compelled to relieve his full heart 
by uttering loud shouts of joy, to which 
his faithful dog, the sole companion and 
. witness of his delight, responds by many a 
. yelp of exultation, and by rolling on the 
. snow and playing sundry fantastic gambols. 
It were useless labour to attempt enume- 
rating here, the individual plants that are 
successively seen when climbing the high- 
est ridges of these rocks; and, I may only 
ACCOUNT OF ANTUCO IN THE PERUVIAN ANDES. 
mention that no Naturalist can imagine the E 
alpine Flora of the South of Chili, to be so 
beautiful to the sight, and so attractive to 
the scientific observer, as it actually is. 
All that the Cape of Good Hope and New 
Holland can exhibit in their arborescent 
flowers, which without attaining the gigantic 
growth of tropical forests, are yet inexpressi- 
bly charming,—all that the alpine produc- 
tions of Europe can present, in their minia- _ 
ture forms, and myriads of small leaves, may 
be found happily blended in the plants of 
these Andes. As every where in Chili, the 
Composite prevail; and you can hardly re- 
cover from the surprise of seeing numerous 
Senecios, exhibiting their golden blossoms 
f the Amellus, which bear, 
united, the foliage of the Rosemary and ] 
the starry blossoms of the Aster, together 4 
with the reddish Laszorrhiza and the moss- 
like Nassauvia, species of a genus that is : 
confined to the extreme southern part d 
of South America, and of which three 4 
forms are here seen. It is singular to ob- 
serve how the individuals of such families 
as do not, in general, affect the cold air of 
the Andes, grow amongst the beautiful 
plants just mentioned. Cassia-like bushes 
not a foot high, adorned with large golden 
clusters of flowers, Escallonias, Cynan- 3 
chum, Colletias, and a little green hyacinth- — 
like plant; these advance to the line e. 
perpetual snow, where first appears that | 
singular Violet, which bears its leaves 1m 
the regular star-like manner of a Semper- — 
vivum. Still higher, but not, therefore, 
beyond the limits of phanerogamic vege- 
tation, the rocks are adorned with several - 
Cryptogamia, among which the skilfal 
Botanist will descry new genera, os 
Ferns that never exhibit their beautiful | 
leaves otherwise than coiled over each | 
other, and which flourish in the deepest — 
clefts, At last, the summit of the lofty 
Pues is won, and the pplleaio laden with © 
which, though ly 
yet iwmbdns: fresh inteieut in his mind, for 
where accidental fissures occur in the wea- 
