jan. — mar. 1857.] Peruvian Bark-tree. 



225 



Here it was that he saw, for the first time since leaving Panama, a 

 luxuriant vegetation, but which however was far from being com- 

 parable with that of the last-mentioned country. 



" To what difficulties such journeys are subject, may be generally 

 known from the accounts of travellers in the pursuit of natural his- 

 tory ; but it may not be uninteresting to the reader to be informed 

 of Mr. Hasskarl' s experience in that respect. 



" The roads over the mountains of Peru are bad, mostly not 

 broader than a bridle-path, and there are often on one side deep 

 and dangerous precipices ; it is impossible for travellers meeting to 

 pass each other. When the crest of the second Cordilleras is pass- 

 ed, the traveller finds steps rather than roads. Here the way must 

 be traversed on foot, the baggage being borne by Indians, if one is 

 so fortunate as to find any. Setting forth on foot by Vitoc to Mo- 

 nohamba and Uchahamba, Mr. Hasskarl had the satisfaction to see 

 the first Quinine-trees in their natural state, although these were 

 not the Calisaya Quinquina, which are found in Southern Peru and 

 Bolivia. Returning from Monohamba, across the second Cordille- 

 ras, he went to the capital of the province of Zanja. 



" Near Lchuhamba Mr. Hasskarl saw a great number of true 

 Calisaya Quinquina-trees but he was only able to collect a few of 

 the plants and seeds. Of that good sort he collected a large quan- 

 tity of seed, besides about fifty plants, which, after being packed 

 with much difficulty, were sent from Lima to Holland on the 28th 

 of July, 1853. This packet contained, besides seeds of 'Calisaya, 1 

 four packets of * Cinchona ovataj and a small quantity of ' Cin- 

 chona pubescensj In a letter to the Minister for the Colonies da- 

 ted 12th August, Mr. Hasskarl sent a small bladder of seeds of the 

 ' Cinchona amygdalifolia? After a voyage of about a month and 

 a half, these objects arrived in a good state at Lima. They were 

 addressed to some one acquainted with their culture, and by him 

 packed in Wardian cases, and despatched to Panama. Owing to 

 a misunderstanding of the carrier, they were detained there ; and 

 when, after experiencing the influence of a tropical heat, on arriv- 

 ing at Lima, all were dead. Here we had to lament the loss of the 

 soil in which those plants were set in the cases, which, if it had 



