-CHAPTER XXI 
THE CINCHONA FORESTS OF EL LIMON, ON THE 
WESTERN SLOPE OF CHIMBORAZO 
(i860) 
[This year was wholly occupied in the arduous 
work of obtaining for the Indian Government seeds 
and young plants of the best of the medicinal barks, 
produced by the Cinchona szucirubra, which was 
becoming exceedingly scarce owing to the reckless 
destruction of the trees producing it. The bulk of 
the present chapter is occupied with a reprint of 
the more interesting portions of the very full 
report of his labours made by Spruce. This is of 
much general and historical as well as of botanical 
interest, and as it can now only be procured in a 
very cumbrous form in a large and costly " Blue 
book " comprising the whole official record of the 
introduction of the various Bark trees into India, 
its inclusion in any account of Spruce's botanical 
work is imperative. 
I give first the " List of Botanical Excursions " 
for the year, which summarise the whole story ; 
and also some short extracts from the few letters 
he was able to write, which supply some more 
personal and descriptive features to the narrative.] 
258 
