jR. Schomburgk^ Dr. PhiL 51 
and liow many plants were out of bloom, and liow many kinds 
showed only their buds. 
It appeared to me almost as if this boundless abundance of 
flowers was to compensate for the total absence of animal 
life ; all was y^rapt in deep solemnity, not even a gorgeous 
humming-bird, or a graceful honey-sucker was seen fluttering 
amongst the flowers. 
My surprise was still increased when I stood before the 
first representatives of the Cinchoneae, of which I not only 
collected Ladenhergia densiflora, Klotzsch ; Roraimae, Klotzsoh ; 
BchomhurgMi, Klotzsch, but also Cosmibuena trifiora, Klotzsch. 
Every step brought something new ; between flowering 
shrubs we reached the Kiver Ziiappi, which flowed towards 
the north-east, joining the River Cotinga. 
In reaching this new zone of plants we had also arrived at 
a new watershed, that of the Orinoco, the streams flowing now 
towards that river. The flora became more interesting near 
the banks of the Zuappi, Echites angustifoliay Benth., Macairea 
multinervia, Benth., and parvifolia^ Benth., Bonnetia sessilis, 
Benth., Vaccinium puberulum. Klotzsch, Befaria grandiflora^ 
Humb. & BonpL, and graceful trees of the so beautiful 
Archytaea muUiflora, Benth., lined the banks of the river. 
Near a deserted Indian hut we partook of our scanty break- 
fast and refreshed ourselves with the cool water of the Zuappi. 
After arranging my botanical gain we proceeded on our 
journey through this magic park, when we entered a small 
forest, the borders of it enclosed with tall cactu some of them 
twenty to thirty feet high. Numberless palms raised their 
proud crowns over the trees, the wide- spreading branches of the 
latter were covered with gigantic Tillandsias, Orchids, Aroids, 
and Ferns, while numberless lianes, the thickness of an arm, 
were climbing up the trees in strange and entangled twistings 
from branch to branch, sometimes straight, and in other 
places like loops. The further we entered into it the more 
charming, the more various became the vegetation — each 
preceding moment surpassed the impression of the foregoing 
one ; but the culminating point was reached when, surrounded 
with Zingiberaceen Mmaceen and gigantic grasses, the first 
group of tree-ferns appeared ; they were the fairy-like genera 
Cyathea and Alsophila. No plant had yet excited in me such 
a peculiar feeling — such a deep enthusiasm; not even the 
first sight of the palms, and the unexpected vegetation which 
appeared before us to-day, with its anomalous forms of 
flowers in infinite variety. 
