256 AN AMERICAN KEW. 



wagon. It is said that the native Brazilian savages and Guianians 

 walk about on the green leaves, and use them as rafts or stepping- 

 stones to cross the lagoons. As to the flowers, though it is difficult to 

 iraagine anything raore beautiful than our own water-lilies, yet these 

 blossoms fairly surpass thera, not only because they are a foot across, 

 but because of the richness of the innumerable petals, and the gorgeous 

 cluster of purple stamens that form the centre. And they fill the air 

 with a fragrance vital and voluptuous. One longs toverify in his own 

 experience that story about walking on the leaves, — not to speak of 

 lopping off" a flower or two to furnish one's study withal. But the 

 quiet gardener, in his shirt-sleeves, though he appears to be absorbed 

 in his work, has his eye on you ; and you can do nothing but stand 

 and stare in admiration. 



The hottest of the hot-houses, if my raeraory serves me, were the 

 cactus-house and the fern-house. The cacti were not beautiful, but 

 they were grotesque and curious. There were none that I should have 

 cared to handle. Their uncouth shapes and awkward putting-together 

 seem characteristic of an epoch when Nature's handiwork was much 

 less skilful and comely than it is now. They call up visions of forlorn 

 wastes and desert solitudes. Their armature of thorns and prickles 

 appears to indicate that they consider theraselves very attractive and 

 take unusual pains in the way of self-protection. Perhaps the donkeys 

 of their time were unreasonably voracious. The modern thistle cer- 

 tainly indicates increased refinement of taste on the donkeys' part. 

 Yet this ungainliness is occasionally redeemed by exquisite blossoms, 

 of pale, pure hues, cropping out directly from the substance of the 

 plant, without any pretence of a stem. One variety of cactus, in addi- 

 tion to its prickles, had provided itself with long white hair, which, 

 surmounting its tall and rather meagre figure, gave it the aspect of an 

 aged man of repulsive character. Among the cacti, though not of 

 them, was a hideous plant (or it raay have been a wax model of one) 

 apparently of the fungus family. It grew on the bare sand or rock, 

 and both flowers and leaves had a greasy, flesh-like surface, deeply 

 tinted, and ornaraented with poisonous-looking blotches. It was of 

 immense size, the flowers being at least a foot in diameter ; and if the 

 Vale of Gehenna has auy vegetation, I should expect it to be like 

 this. A more depraved, diabolical plant it would be impossible to 

 imagine. Its preposterous attempt to imitate the form and character- 

 istics of ordinary vegetation made it still more revolting. The label 

 described it as being very rare, — which is some comfort. 



The fern-house, besides being hot, is dripping with moisture; and, 

 the glass being tinged with green, the eflect is somewhat like being 

 submerged in a tropic ocean. The greenness of the ferns is vivid enough 

 at any rate, but this artificial light adds such intensity to it that, after 

 a few minutes, you are on the point of forgetting that there is any other 

 color besides green in the world. The ferns are arranged in glass 

 cases, or vivariums. There is nothing in nature to parallel their delicate 

 aud various beauty. I call it various ; but it is chiefly beauty of form, 

 and that, too, within comparatively narrow limitations. But the fine- 

 ness, the subtilty, the changefulness of line, are endlessly charming; 



