tem, its graceful head,
and its delicate green plumes; and the mirite, one of the most beautiful
of the palm tribe, having abundant clusters of glossy fruit, and
enormous spreading, fanlike leaves, cut into ribbons. Palms of various
species predominated. The underwood was not very dense, but the sepos
wove their tracery among the upper branches; some running round and
round the trees, and holding them in a close embrace; others hanging
from branch to branch in rich festoons, or dropping in long lines to the
ground. Here, too, appeared numberless parasitic plants, with most
beautiful and gorgeous flowers. Among the most lovely flowers was one
of a yellow tint, apparently suspended between the stems of two trees,
shining in the gloom as if its petals were of gold. In reality, as we
afterwards discovered, it grows at the end of a stalk, a yard and a half
long, springing from a cluster of thick leaves on the bark of a tree.
Others had white and spotted blossoms; and still more magnificent than
all was one of a brilliant purple colour, emitting a delicious odour.
Here, too, we saw plants hanging in mid-air, like the crowns of huge
pineapples; and large climbing arums, with their dark green and
arrow-head-shaped leaves, forming fantastic and graceful ornaments amid
the foliage; while huge-leaved ferns and other parasites clung to the
sterns up to the very highest branches. These, again, were covered by
creeping plants; and thus literally parasites grew on parasites; and on
these parasites, again, leaves of every form were also seen--some
beautifully divided, and others of vast size and fanlike shape, like
those of the cecropias; and numerous others of intermediate forms added
to the countless variety.

Many of the trees bore fruit. Among the most tempting was that of the
maraja, growing in large bunches. Most of the palms also had fruit;
some like the cocoanut, others like small berries. Then there was the
palmetto, with its tender succulent bud on the summit of the stem, used
as a vegetable with meat. Others had bunches of bright chestnut-brown
fruit hanging from between the leaves which form the crown, each bunch
about a foot in length, massive and compact, like a large cluster of
Hamburg grapes. Then there was another palm, bearing a greenish fruit
not unlike the olive in appearance, which hung in large pendent bunches
just below the leaves. There were bean-shaped pods, too, from one foot
to three feet in lengt