Morning journal and courier., 1885-04-02

handsome that persuaded my host to send
roots to Mr.. Veitch. It seemed shame that
the Chilians (who do not appreciate native
howers) should alone possess such treasures.
soon after reaching the first araucarias we
found ourselves surrounded by them, and all
other trees gave way to them, though the
ground was still gay with purple peas and
orange orchids, and many tiny flowers whose
names I did not know and which | had not
time to paint then-such flowers when picked
die almost directly. Many hills and the val
leys between were covered with old trees,
covering some miles of space, and there are
few specimens to be found outside this forest.
[ saw none over one hundred feet high or
twenty feet in circumference, and strange to
say, they seemed all very old or verv young.
| saw none of those noble specimens of mid
die age we have in some English parks with
their lower branches resting on the ground.
They did not become fat-topped like those
in Brazil but were slightly domed like those
of Queensland, and their shiny leaves gilt
tered in the sunshine, while their trunks and
branches were hung with white ichen, and
the latter weighed down with big cones
big as ones head The smaller cones of the
male trees We're shaking off clouds of golden
pollen, and were full of small grubs, which,
| suppose, attracted the flights of parroquets
[ saw 50 busily employed about them. These
birds said to be clever that they
find a soft place in the great shells of the
cone when ripe into which they get the point
of their sharp beaks, and fdget it until the
whole cracks ard the nuts fall to the ground.
1t is food they delight ill, and men, too,
when properly cooked like chestnuts. The
most remarkable thing about the trees was
the bark, which was perfect child's puzzle
of knobby slabs of different sizes, with five
OF six decided sides to each, and all fitted to-
yether with the neatness of honeyconb. [
tried in vain to find some system on which it
was arranged.
The puza or chaguale was the other plant
[ wanted most to paint. One wretched spec
linen howered at Kew last spring and excited
much attention. and | struggled to draw it
in all the glare and discomfort of the cactus
house, not venturing to ask that so precious
plant should ru1fthe risk of catching cold
oy being taken to my room there. Here
there three kinds growing in quantities,
each in its peculiar locality. The largest has
yellowish green flower, and is seldom far
from the seaside. Its proportions are those
of a London gas lamp, the flower head even
longer than the lamp, often over yard long,
md it is a most notable object when seen
standing above it osettes of pine like leaves,
among the rocks and cliffs, with the sky and
sea behind it of that deep blue and purple
one only finds among volcanic rocks. The
blue variety grows further inland in the val
leys and rocky clefts high up; whole hill
sides are often covered with it, and [ have
mass of leaves, which are silvery and most
beautifully curved like some of the bilber-
5ias, it's cousins. I shall never forget the
tirst time I saw them growing when climbing
in search of them near the Baths of Apo
quindo; the clouds overlook me and hid eve
rything for awhile till saw those tall flowers
like ghosts close to me, then snow peak far
beyond, and then I got into new world CT
wonders, with blue sky overhead and mass
Of cotton n-wool clouds hiding all I had left
below, and the strange puza flowers for com
pany and plenty of time to study them.
About sixty branchlets are arranged spirally
round the central stem each foot long and
covered with buds wrapped in hesh-colored
oracts. These open IN successive circles be-
ginning at the base: the three flower petals
at first opening are of the purest turquoise
blue; then they become darker, u mixture of
arsenic green and Prussian blue; the third
lay grayer green, and then they curl them
selves up into three carmine shayings, and
fresh circle of flowers takes their place out
side, so that the longer the plant has been in
bloom the larger its head becomes, and as
the heads of the spikes or branchiets bloom
last it loses its form and looks ragged and
disreputable. Its stamens shine like gold in
their polished metallic blue caps, and it is
mary elously beautiful at first The third
kind is smaller and its flowers thin and Of
very dark blue, but it's bright pink stalk is
very effective when against the gray
stones. The gum of the puza is valuable as
a medicine and resembles gum arabic. Near
the puza the tall cactus generally grows its
pillars, otter six or eight feet high, crowned
with white trumpet flowers and buds and or
namented with a parasite whose white and
scarlet berries are eatable. | found that the
flowers never faced the same side as the par
asite; the former were as large a German
beer glass, and their footstalk full of
sweet juice. most refreshing to suck the
dry hillside and less stupefying than the usu-
al contents OF such glasses.