3 
7 
Be 
fs. 
aNd 
4 DR. J. D. HOOKER ON WELWITSCHIA. 
appear in some instances subversive of theoretical axioms hitherto considered as funda- 
mental in Botany. : 
After receiving Dr. Welwitsch’s specimens, I wrote to my friend Joachim Monteiro, 
Esq., a very intelligent and successful zoologist residing at Loanda, who had sent many 
seeds and bulbs to the Royal Gardens of Kew, requesting him to procure some plants 
of Welwitschia for me, through any correspondent he might have in the Cape Negro 
district. Mr. Monteiro instantly replied to me from Cuio Bay, where he happened to be 
travelling, informing me that he had found the plant some weeks before the receipt of 
my letter, and, feeling assured that it would interest me, had already packed a box with 
six fine specimens, and a bottle of cones preserved in spirits. The following is a copy of 
Mr. Monteiro’s letter :-— 
98 Cuio Bay, February 25, 1862. 
“ My DEAR S1r,—I was delighted to receive a week ago your letter of December last, and still more 
so in being able to comply in part with your wishes with regard to Welwitschia mirabilis, as I today for- 
ward by the steamer to Lisbon a box containing one large and five small specimens of this plant. I also 
send you in the same box a glass bottle with the cones that I cut off the large specimen. 
“These I myself collected at Mossamedes (Little Fish Bay of the English charts) in December last. 
For the large specimen I had to send a black with a hoe, to dig it out of the very hard soil in which it was 
growing ; but the rascal cut the leaves off, as you will see. 
“ On my journey to visit a copper-mine about thirty miles distant from the coast, I passed a plain 
about three miles across, on which this plant was growing abundantly ; that is to say, I saw about thirty 
specimens on my line of march. The plain was perfectly dry, and bare of other vegetation than the 
Welwitschia and a little short grass. The ground was of a hard quartzose schist. The Welwitschia was 
generally growing near the little ruts worn in the plain by running water during the rainy season. The large 
specimen sent was the largest that I saw ; but I was careful to inquire of several Portuguese belonging to 
the Possession at Pinda (Cape Negro), whether Dr. Welwitsch’s description to me, of these plants being 
found with tops measuring 6 feet across, was correct or not ; and they all assured me they had seen them 
of that size and even larger, with the ribbon-like leaves 2 and even 3 ‘ bracas’ (fathoms) long. I was 
told that the largest they had seen were on the banks of the River Croquis, a little to the north of Port 
Alexandre. The main land of this is Pinda, where there is a small Portuguese force, several fishermen, 
plantations, &c. A friend of mine, the principal trader at Mossamedes, is the owner of a cotton-planta- 
tion at Pinda ; and I will write to him by the next steamer to procure for me the very largest specimen of 
the Welwitschia that can be found in the neighbourhood, or that can be transported to the coast. 
“J know that Dr. Welwitsch desired several persons at Little Fish Bay to procure specimens of this 
plant for him, but it is very likely they will never do so; but I think you can depend on my friend getting 
one of the largest. 
« All the plants I saw were growing flat on the ground; none with the top raised above the surface, 
as represented in your drawing; but I know not whether this may perhaps be the case with the larger 
ones. I was unable to obtain seeds ; nor had I time to gather more specimens: I transplanted a young 
one into a box with earth, but it rotted. I have information that the Welwitschia is found growing in the 
vicinity of the River San Nicolau, in 14° 20'S. lat. About here it is unknown to the natives, so that you 
may consider 14° S, lat. as its most northern limit. 
“Yours very sincerely, 
«J. J. MonrerRo.” * 
* This letter also contains the following account of a most curious plant, not yet known to botanists :— 
« | found a very extraordinary-looking plant growing rarely near Little Fish Bay, which in appearance is like a great 
