52 
Botanical Reminiscences, 
From the slender stem, about twelve to sixteen feet high, 
were suspended the large, elegant, featherlike fronds hanging 
gracefully almost down to the ground and forming charming 
arches ; a habit which especially was noticable in the Cyathea^ 
The A IsopMla were new and described by the late Dr. Klotzsch 
as a ohionga and gibbosa. 
Walking through this magic forest on pretty even ground 
the path took an opposite character, at once it carried 
us down steep declivities, which we had to scale up again ; 
roots of trees and almost impenetrable shrubs and plants 
disputing with us every step we made. Every summit we 
ascended^ was welcomed by the Indians with a hearty cry ; 
though it was doubtful whether their joyful cry was not 
meant to welcome another abyss. 
We again pursued our way down towards a deep ravine 
through which one of the smaller rivulets poured its water ; 
we had again just scaled a steep declivity and the forest be- 
came thinner, and some rays of the sun stealing through the 
foliage told us that we had reached the end of it. We had 
to break through a dense mass of ferns overrun with num- 
berless creepers ; this thick border we soon noticed was the 
enclosure of a large cassava field ; although the roots were far 
from ripe the field showed us that we were close to a settle- 
ment. With the expectation of finding there a supply of 
bread, we went through the luxuriant field descending a 
steep hill, when we noticed far beneath us the peaceful and 
welcome huts of the Arekuna village of Humesete. 
Before us towards north-north-west and north-east again 
towered the high mountains. The picture of nature, as was 
unfolded before our eyes, was one of the grandest ever seen, 
organic and inorganic nature were contributing to it. The 
declivities of the mountains we stood on were covered with the 
most lovely ornament of fiowers mixed in charming variety. 
Flora seemed to have strewn here extravagantly ; the colors of 
the Andromedas, Thibaudias, VochysiaSy Bonnetias, Termtroe’- 
mias, Gomphias, Befarias, and Clethras in unfettered humor 
and extravagance over the picturesque sandstone masses, 
laying in horizontal positions, which in some places formed 
pleasant terraces, in other wall-like' declivities. Between 
thickets of Sobralias and Orchids, we went through a valley, 
and crossing a small rivulet entered the settlement. The 
fifty red-painted inhabitants gazed at us pale foreigners and 
our package with curiosity. But before we reached the 
