Page:Gardner - Travels in the Interior of Brazil, 1846.pdf/557

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clusion, I resolved to make another journey to the Organ mountains, being desirous of devoting more time to the investigation of the botany of the higher regions of that chain, than I had been able to do, during my former residence there. For this purpose, I left Rio on the 12th of March, 1841, and during the following month, occupied myself in making excursions on Mr. March's estate.

The weather was too variable to think of making a journey to the top of the Serra, but by the beginning of April it became more settled, and having been joined by Mr. George Hockin, a gentleman from the house of Messrs Harrison , and Co. , who had frequently accompanied me in my previous excursions in the neighbourhood of Rio, preparations were made for ascending the mounWe left the Fazenda about 8 o'clock

tains on the 9th.

A.M. , taking with us three blacks, besides my own servant ; my old guide, Pai Filippe, was now too infirm to undertake such a journey, but his place was filled by one of his sons .

Following the path I had made four years

before, we reached, about four o'clock, the highest point I had attained on my former visit, and at this place, under the ledge of a rock, we slept for the night ; this being a very convenient, and well sheltered spot, we de cided to make it our head quarters during the few days we remained in the mountains .

Besides specimens of nearly

all the plants which I found on my previous journey, I collected on the ascent, many that were new to me ; two of the most remarkable of these were a kind of Fuchsia (F. alpestris, Gardn .) , and a very extraordinary species of Utricularia ; the latter to which I have given the name of U. nelumbifolia, has since been published in Hooker's