By Mr. Theodore Hartweg. 



143 



blown down, by this means they form better plants and flower 

 more freely than in their native woods. The Indians, who grow 

 them for the sake of the flowers to adorn their altars, are generally 

 very reluctant to part with these plants. 



The Volcan de Agua, or water volcano rises to the height of 

 12,600 feet above the level of the sea, and is about 6,000 feet 

 higher than the plain on which Antigua Guatemala or the old town 

 of Guatemala is built ; it is regular on all sides, representing the 

 form of a sugar loaf with the point cut off. It received the name 

 of Volcan de Agua from the Spaniards, under Alvarado, who after 

 subduing the country, formed a settlement at the foot of this 

 mountain. It, however, was soon destroyed by a torrent of water 

 issuing forth from the summit, and carrying every thing before it. 

 The deep furrows which the water made in its descent, although 

 now again covered with vegetation, are still plainly visible even 

 from the new town of Guatemala, a distance of 25 miles. The 

 lower region of this volcano is under cultivation, or is pasture land, 

 while at an elevation of 9,000 feet a girdle of trees passes round 

 it, the most conspicuous of which is Cheirostemon platanoides, 

 which also occurs at the same elevation on the Volcan de Fuego, 

 where it attains the height of from 60 to 80 feet, often forming a 

 stem of 4 feet in diameter. Having passed this region, a long grass 

 covers the ground, which makes the hill, which is steep, still more 

 difficult to ascend. A Veratrum like Zygaderms volcanicus, was 

 found here, throwing up a branched flower stem of 3 feet in height, 

 covered with pendulous scented flowers of a dingy yellow ; and by its 

 side Berberis gracilis, which I recognised immediately by its slen- 

 der growth and red petioles, although without either flower or seed. 

 After much halting on account of the steep ascent and rarified air, 

 which made breathing continually more difficult, I at length arrived 

 at the brink of the crater, climbing the ascent from the village of 

 Santa Maria in four hours. A few minutes delay would have de- 

 prived me of the view I had, for the clouds arose rapidly from the 



