no 



A NATUJUIISTS \VA.\'I)E!UyOS 



piireli!i.sin^^- Ho iintl liis sons were very much attached to 

 me, flud I placed every confidence in them. Sittinf( roiiiid our 

 fanip-fire one evening, m was ray custom after dinuor, convers* 

 iu'^ ttn iiW sorts of topics, I mcjitionc*! what I had rmd as lo 

 Mr. Clement li. Mnrkbam*s mission [in search of cinchona- 

 seeds]. Kow Manuel had been with me in three of my 

 journeys infii the cinchona districts of the Ynngas of 

 litjlivia, where I had to go looking after laggard contractors 

 for delivery of Imrk, It was wlnle couversintr on the subject 

 of Sir. JIarklnnn's jinirney, and wondering whieli route he 

 would take, A'c., that Manutd greatly surprised me by saying i 

 * The gentleman will not leave the Yungas in good health if 

 he really obtains the Bono plants and seeds,* Manuel was 

 always very taciturn and rescr\'cd. 1 said nothing at the time, 

 there Wing some thirty more of my Indians sitting round the 

 large fire. The next day he reluctantly told me how every 

 stranger on entering the Yungas was closely watched un- 

 observed by himseli"; how several seed -co] lectors had their 

 seed changed ; how their germinating power wus destroyed 

 by their own guides, servants, &c. He also showed me how 

 all the Indians most implicitly believe, if by plants or seed 

 from the Yungas, the cinchonas are successfnlly propagated in 

 other countries, aU their own trees will perisli. Such, I assure 

 ymi, is their superstition. Although there are no laws prohibit- 

 ing the cinchona seed or plants being taken out of thecoinitry, 

 I have seen private instructions from the Prefect in La Pasj, 

 ordering strictest vigilance to prevent any ])erson taking seed 

 or plants out of the country. More than halt-a-ilozen times I 

 have had my luggage, bedding, &c., searched when coming out 

 of the valley of th*^ Yuu^ias. [Mr. Ledger unsuceessfully 

 attempted to conimnuicate with Mr, Markham, who was not 

 permitted to enter Uolivia.] * 



" Yon are aware how I nm looked upon as a doctor by the 

 Indians, Well, one day i said : • Manuel, I may some day 

 require some seed and flowers of the lamous white flower, 

 r«)go cascarrilla, as a remedy ; and 1 shall rely on your not 

 deceiving me in the way you have told me.* Ee merely 

 said, * Patron, if you ever require such seed and flowers, 1 will 

 not deceive yott.* And I thought no more about it. 



* '/'. Markliaui's * Travels in PtTU and India,' 



