72 RIO JANEIRO. 



forests in our Atlantic States. According to the accounts of intelligent 

 residents, it is easily traversed in any direction. The accounts of 

 difficulties have probably arisen from the second growth on spots that 

 have once been cleared, where the bamboos are intertwined so as to 

 render the woods almost impassable, and this has no doubt been taken 

 for the primeval forest. 



The nature of the Brazilian forest will account for so little being 

 known of its botany. The trees are in fact inaccessible, the trunks 

 being from seventy to one hundred feet high, before the branches 

 appear, so that the latter can only be got at by felling. The view of 

 the forest is truly remarkable. Trees of immense growth intermingled 

 with others of less size, presenting to the eye the most singular and 

 fantastic forms imaginable. The roots of climbing plants, dangling 

 between their straight trunks, resembled the tackling of a ship. 



A little incident that occurred to these gentlemen will show the 

 difficulties to be encountered in obtaining specimens. They had 

 observed for a few days a beautiful yellow flowering tree, that was very 

 conspicuous in the forest. Believing that it could be easily come at, 

 they made the attempt to reach it, but without success, finding it, 

 instead of being low, a high and inaccessible tree. They then directed 

 their steps to others, but were disappointed again. Determined not 

 to be foiled in their pursuit, they again went off in search of others in 

 sight ; these, to their surprise, were on the opposite side of a river. 

 Nothing daunted, Mr. Brackenridge crossed it, though deep, and 

 endeavoured to scale the tree. What had appeared near the ground, 

 now proved a tree of some sixty feet in height, with a smooth and 

 slippery bark; and he returned to his companion empty-handed. Dr. 

 Pickering next made the attempt. After crossing the stream with 

 difficulty, he reached the desired object, and endeavoured to climb, but 

 after reaching some forty feet, was obliged to acknowledge himself 

 vanquished. They continued their return, and when near Padre Luiz's 

 house, they found a small tree of the same kind they had been searching 

 for, which proved to be a species of Csesalpinia. 



At Padre Luiz's they again passed the night, and the next day 

 endeavours were made to reach one of the pointed peaks of the Organ 

 Mountains. In this Dr. Pickering succeeded, though it did not prove 

 the highest. On their way they found many interesting plants ; among 

 them the Epiphytic Orchideas, slender Cecropias, rising to the height 

 of one hundred feet without a limb, arborescent fern trees forty feet in 

 height, and numerous parasitical plants hanging from the various trees 

 in great profusion; Bromelias, Bignonias, &c. On reaching the top, he 

 found trees stunted and gnarled of about thirty feet in height. 



