Botanical Reminiscences, ■ 
flexuosa^ and luxuriant groves of the Curatella americana. The 
steep and fantastic summits of the surrounding mountains 
gave our imagination occasion again to make all kinds of 
comparisons with old ruins of castles on the banks of the 
Rhine. Tired with the exertion and unaccustomed travelling, 
we decided to pitch our camp in this valley for the night. 
In consequence of scarcity of poles, it was easier said than 
executed, to pitch the tents. Scarcely had we overcome the 
difficulties, when suddenly a thunderstorm arose, just as if it 
had waited for the finishing of our work. Accompanied by 
a -fearful storm, the day was changed into night, which now 
and then was interrupted by the vivid lightning, while the 
thunder was so loud, that we imagined a-U the mountains 
were overthrown. It was but a short time that our tents 
would protect us from the pouring down rain. The storm 
ceasing, a bright starlight night followed, but the tempera- 
ture being very perceptible caused us to proceed on our 
journey before daylight. We ^proceeded in a north-westerly 
direction through the valley. During the day we crossed 
the - rivulet Marico, which waters "a second valley, and flows 
into the Tapuring. 
Our attention was called to a number of large ant hills, of 
which several were 18 to 20 feet high, built iii a spiral form, 
which form we had never observed before. 
The Mauritia palms had nearly taken possession of the 
whole valley. The sight of such a forest was the more sur- 
prising to us as we had only as yet found this magnificent 
palm, with its scanty reddish-colored fruits, single or in small 
groups on the swampy plains of the savannas. Here they 
grow so closely together that they lost a great deal of their 
imposing beauty, as the fine fronds were interwoven with 
each other. 
Whenever this palm appeared the eye would rest with 
admiration on the magnificent sight. We met with them 
on the savannas extending more than 14,000 square miles, 
through which the tributaries of the mighty rivers the 
Amazon, Orinoco, and Essequiho flow, and also near the 
Roraima at an absolute height of 4,000 feet above the level of 
the sea ; though it was stated by the great traveller Martins, 
in his magnificent work, The Palms,^^ that they were only 
found at a height of 800. In all situations the trees appeared 
to have the same vigorous growth and perfection as on the 
savannas of the Rupunini and Rio Branco. 
