503 



waters. This is a real meadow, decorated with 

 clumps of the mauritia palm, which is the sago- 

 tree of America. Nearer the mountain, the dis- 

 tance of which from the Cross of the mission I 

 found to be7300 toises,the marshyplain changes 

 to a savannah, and spends itself along the lower 

 region of the Cordillera. Large pine-apples are 

 there found of a delicious flavour ; that species 

 of bromelia always grows solitary among the 

 gramina* like our colchicum autumnale, while 

 the karatas, another species of the same genus, 

 is a social plant, like our whortles and heaths. 

 The pine-apples of Esmeralda are cultivated 

 throughout Guyana. There are certain spots in 

 America, as in Europe, where different fruits 

 attain their highest degree of perfection. The 

 sapota plum (achras) should be eaten at the 

 Island of Margaretta or at Cumana : the chiii- 

 moyas (very different from the custard apple, 

 and sweet sop of the West India Islands,) at 

 Loxa, in Peru ; the grenadilles, or parchas, at 

 Caraccas ; and the pine-apple at Esmeralda, or 

 in the island of Cuba ; to find no exaggeration 

 in the praises, which the first travellers bestowed 

 on the excellence of the productions of the torrid 



* The country round Esmeralda abounds in gramineae and 

 cyperaceas j setaria composita, paspalum conjugatum, pariana 

 campestrisj mariscus Icevis,} uncus \jioribundm, elionurus ciliaris, 

 choetospora capiiata. 



