42 
Botanical Reminiscences. 
■frora'^.liirty to forty feet, omitted a strong* aromatic smell 
Its wood is very hard This is, undoubtedly, the _ only tree 
like Lahiatae, indigenous in British Guiana. Mr. Gardener, 
the ¥/elh known traveller and botanist, found this species also - 
in Brazil, in the diamond district, Minas Geraes, near Cidaclo 
do Serro, as one of the most common trees ; its distribution, 
therefore seems to be over a large area in South America. A 
'nB'w ■ Swartzia and Rhopala, 8. capparoides^ Klotzsch., and Rh. 
suaveolensy Klotzsch., I found also here. 
On returning from my botanical excursion to the camp I 
was surprised to meet with so many dejected and mournful 
looks. The stock of our provisions was nearly exhausted, 
the rations, which already yesterday had been reduced one- 
half, had undergone a still further reduction to keep at last a 
small quantity for to-morrow’s breakfast. We expected to 
reach an Arekima settlement in the afternoon. At night 
we suffered a good deal from the cold — the thermometer 
showed IT Fahr. at daybreak. 
At sunrise we continued our journey through short, 
yellowish grass, damp from the night’s dew. The cold, 
v/hich was very perceptible, made us walk fast, when 
suddenly, on arriving at a precipice of the mountain chain, 
our eyes were enraptured by the view of a wide valley spread 
out below us. W as it illusion of the senses ? Was it enchant- 
ment which thus transported us from a wilderness into a 
fairy land ? A sea of mist was moving slowly and gradually 
over the vallej^, lying in i*ing-like circles on the luxuriant 
tops of the trees or on the summits of the low hills, which 
portion released from the envious veil were seen like islands 
rising above the white cloudy surface. Each glance discovered 
a new wonder ; instead of the former ragged, sharp summits 
and peaks, a table-like belt of mountains rose above the mist 
ill the north-east towards west, with a towering ridge or 
stone wall 3 to 400 feet high, and on the summit of it was 
observed a luxuriant vegetation. They were the Sandstone 
Mountains, Hurnirida. Speechless vdth rapture we looked 
into the charming undulating valley, and across the sea of 
mist, which became more transparent every minute, and from 
which emerged a vegetation of the most wonderful tints, 
getting more attractive every moment. 
Extensive luxuriant plains were interwoven by long 
yellow stripes and patches of floy/ering trees, recalling 
to our minds the flowering fields of rape at home in the 
