By Mr. Theodore Hartweg. 



159 



when boiled resembles in flavour a Spanish Chesnut ; in boiling, 

 the rind yields an oil which may be used for culinary purposes or 

 for burning. 



Towards the middle of December after packing up what I had 

 collected about Popayan, I proceeded with my collections to 

 Bogota. Passing over the Central Cordillera by the Paramo de 

 Guanacas, I entered the valley of the Upper Magdalena river at 

 the village of La Plata, and following the arid banks of that river 

 I arrived on the 1st of January 1843, in Bogota, after a fatiguing 

 journey of twenty-days. The sudden change of temperature 

 from the warm valley of the Magdalena to the cold table-land 

 of Bogota, was probably the cause of my contracting a fever and 

 ague, from which I suffered during the month of January, and 

 which prevented me from following my occupation during that time. 



The town of Bogota being built at the foot of the western 

 Cordillera, at an elevation of nearly 9,000 feet enjoys a mean 

 temperature of 56° and notwithstanding the swampy plain in front, 

 through which the river Bogota slowly winds, the town is con- 

 sidered healthy. 



The aspect of the vegetation round Bogota is at first glance 

 anything but encouraging for a botanical collector ; upon a closer 

 inspection, however, I found that the apparently barren mountains 

 were covered with some very interesting plants, and particularly 

 the ravine which descends the Cordillera, and whose clear stream 

 supplies the town with water ; here I found Gaultheria ramosis- 

 *w»a,and conferta, Gaylussacia buxifolia, Chcetogastra microphylla, 

 with small yellow flowers, Spircea argentea, Thibaudia floribunda, 

 with a large fleshy root, Fuchsia petiolaris, an Oncidium with 

 yellow flowers supported on a stem three feet in height, and a 

 half-climbing Begonia with large scarlet flowers adorning the rocks 

 with gay colours. Following the steep ascent to the Paramo, 

 I observed Linochilus rosmarinifolius, Palicourea vaginata, Eupato- 

 rium amplum, vaccinicefolium, and latipes,Drymis granatensis, called 



