PREPARATIONS FOR DEPARTURE. 321 
we lived a simple and laborious life. We were 
young; possessed a similarity of taste and disposition ; 
looked forward to the future with hope; were on the 
eve of a journey which was to lead us to the highest 
summits of the Andes, and bring us to volcanoes in 
action in a country continually agitated by earth- 
quakes ; and we felt ourselves more happy than at 
any other period of our distant expedition. The 
years which have since passed, not all exempt from 
griefs and pains, have added to the charms of these 
impressions ; and [I love to think that, in the midst 
of his exile in the southern hemisphere, in the soli- 
tudes of Paraguay, my unfortunate friend, M. Bon- 
pland, sometimes remembers with delight our bo- 
tanical excursions at Turbaco, the little spring of | 
Torecillo, the first sight of a gustavia in flower, or 
of the cavanillesia loaded with fruits having mem- 
branous and transparent edges.” 
M. Bonpland’s health having suffered severely dur- 
ing the navigation of the Orinoco and Casiquiare, 
they resolved to provide themselves with all the con- 
veniences necessary to secure their comfort during 
the ascent of the Rio Magdalena. They were ac- 
companied on this voyage by an old French physi- 
cian, M. de Rieux, and two Spaniards. Leaving 
-Turbaco after a stay of ten days, in a cool and very 
dark night they passed through a wood of bamboos 
rising from 40 to 50 feet. At daybreak they reach- 
ed Arjona on the borders of the forest, crossed an 
arm of the Rio Magdalena in a canoe, and arrived 
at Mahates, where they had to wait nearly all day 
for the mules which were to convey their baggage 
to the place of embarkation. It was excessively hot, 
without a breath of wind, and to add to their vexa- 
U 
