upon its high bank, anon over
some projecting ridge, and at intervals crossing the stream, sometimes
by fording, and once or twice by natural bridges formed by the long
trailing roots of various species of fig-trees.

Although they were gradually ascending to a higher elevation, the
vegetation was still of a tropical character. Pothos plants, and
broad-leaved arums, bamboos, wild plantains, and palms, were seen all
along the way, while lovely orchidaceous flowers,--epiphytes and
trailing plants,--hung down from the trunks and branches of the great
trees, forming festoons and natural trellis-work, that stretched across
the path and almost closed it up.

That was a busy day for the botanical collector. Many rare species were
found in seed, and he gathered a load for all three, to be carried on to
their halting place, and stored until their return from the mountains.
Those species that were yet only in flower he noted down in his
memorandum-book. They would be ripe for him on his way back.

About noon they halted to refresh themselves. The spot they had chosen
was in a grove of purple magnolias, whose splendid flowers were in full
bloom, and scented the air around with their sweet perfume. A crystal
stream,--a mere rivulet,--trickled in its deep bed through the midst of
the grove, and the movement of its waters seemed to produce a refreshing
coolness in the surrounding atmosphere.

They had just unbuckled their packs, intending to lunch, and remain an
hour or so on the ground, when some animal was heard moving among the
bushes on the other side of the rivulet.

Caspar and Ossaroo, ever ready for the chase, immediately seized their
weapons; and, crossing the stream, went in search of the animal, which
they supposed would turn out to be a deer. Karl, therefore, was left by
himself.

Now Karl felt very much jaded. He had worked hard in gathering his
seeds, and nuts, and drupes, and berries, and pericarps, and he felt
quite done up, and had some thoughts of remaining upon that spot for the
night. Before giving up, however, he determined to try a refreshing
medicine, which he had brought with him, and in which he had been taught
to have great faith. This medicine was nothing more than a bottle of
hot peppers pickled in vinegar, which Karl had been told by a friend was
one of the finest remedies for fatigue that could be found in the
world,--in fact, the sovereign cure,--far excelling rum or brandy, or
even the p