through a part where both the
timber and the undergrowth had been found thicker than usual, the party
entered a wide open glade of considerable extent without a single tree
in it. To make up for the absence of trees, however, there were, dotted
about here and there in the midst of the long grass, several clumps of
perfectly white flowers, ten or a dozen flowers in each clump. And as
these clumps of flowers came into view, the whole party halted
involuntarily, struck with amazement; for the sight was, beyond all
question, the most wonderful that any of them had ever beheld. The
blooms, shaped somewhat like the familiar Canterbury bell, were of
absolutely gigantic proportions, some certainly not less than six feet
in height, exclusive of the short, thick stem, while many were even
larger than this. Each clump was surrounded by a kind of spray of still
more enormous leaves, each leaf being about twelve feet long by some
eight feet broad, lying almost flat upon the grass and forming a
complete barricade round the clump. The air was charged with a peculiar
but exceedingly pleasant fragrance, which no doubt emanated from these
wonderful botanical curiosities; and after a short halt to take in the
details of the extraordinary picture, Earle announced his determination
to halt for the remainder of the day in the glade, in order that he
might examine the flowers at leisure. Accordingly, a wide, clear space
in about the centre of the glade was chosen, and preparations for
pitching the camp were briskly proceeded with.

The discovery of these gigantic flowers threw Earle into a condition of
quite pleasant excitement. He was a man of method, and, as such, had
naturally kept a diary of the proceedings of the party from the moment
of its departure from New York. Hitherto, however, the diary had been
kept solely as a future aid to memory, and for his own individual
purposes alone; but now the discovery of what at the moment he believed
to be an entirely new species of plant, suddenly inspired him with the
ambition to become enrolled in the ranks of those scientific explorers
who have become famous by virtue of the remarkable character of their
discoveries, and it began to dawn upon him that there were possibilities
in this journey of his which might enable him to become one of the
immortals of scientific discovery. So elated was he at the prospect
that he could not resist the temptation to communicate his hopes to
Dick, who,