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some climbing plant, or threads of the agave, 

 placed in parallel lines three or four decimetres 

 from each other. The vijao leaves meanwhile 

 have been unrolled, and are now spread over the 

 above work, so as to cover each other like the 

 tiles of a house. These huts thus hastily built, 

 are cool and commodious. If during the night 

 the traveller feels the rain, he points out the 

 spot where it enters, and a single leaf is sufficient 

 to obviate the inconvenience. We passed 

 several days in the valley of Boquia under one 

 of these leafy tents, which was perfectly dry 

 amidst violent and incessant rains. 



The mountain of Quindiu is one of the richest 

 spots in useful and interesting plants. Here we 

 found the palm-tree (ceroxylon andicola), the 

 trunk of which is covered with vegetable wax ; 

 the passiflora in trees ; and the majestic mutisia 

 grandiflora, with flowers of a scarlet colour six- 

 teen centimetres (six inches long). 



