As soon as my labours in Rio were brought to a conclusion, 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 mountains on the 9th. We left the fazenda about 8 o’clock 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 decided 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 Icones Plantarum, where a very excellent figure of it is given. Like most of its congeners, it is aquatic; but what is most curious, is that it is only to be found growing in the water which collects in the bottom of the leaves of a large Tillandsia, that inhabits abundantly an arid rocky part of the mountain, at an elevation of about 5,000 feet above the level of the sea. Besides the ordinary method by seed, it propagates itself by runners, which it throws out from the base of the flower stem. This runner is always found directing itself towards the nearest Tillandsia, when it inserts its point into the water, and gives origin to a new plant, which in its turn sends out another shoot; in this manner I have seen not less than six plants united. The leaves, which are peltate, measure upwards of three inches across; and the flowering stem, which is upwards of two feet long, bears numerous large purple flowers.
On the following morning, after an early breakfast, we set out to ascend that part of the Serra which appears from the fazenda house to be the highest. This peak, which I had been prevented from ascending in 1837, was reached in the following year by the Rev. Mr. Maister, who was then the English clergyman at Rio; and again about six weeks before our visit, by Mr. Lobb, an English gardener, who had been sent out by a nurseryman to collect seeds and living plants: we thus found a path ready made for us. This part of the mountain is about 600 feet higher than the spot we had chosen for our bivouac. Starting then from this place, we made a descent into a wooded ravine in which the ground was covered by the beautiful Alstrœmeria nemorosa, and many delicate ferns, while the branches of the Melastomaceæ, and other trees and shrubs, were festooned with the climbing Fuchsia, brilliant with its scarlet blossoms. Then ascending for some time, through a well wooded tract, we entered upon a steeper portion of the mountain, overspread with beautiful flowering shrubs, among which were several fine Melastomaceæ, fruticose Compositæ, a Gualtheria, some species of Vaccinium, and a handsome new Escallonia (E. Organensis, Gardn.), bearing a profusion of rose-coloured blossoms. The summit of this peak we found to consist of several enormous loose blocks of granite, covered with Lichens, small species of Orchideæ, Gesnereæ, and where there was any accumulation of soil, a large-flowered Amaryllis (Hippeastrum Organensis), now common in English hot-houses; the climbing Fuchsia in a dwarf procumbent state was also found here. Upon reaching the summit, we erected a pole and flag in order to give notice to our friends below that we had got up in safety; and immediately afterwards, by the aid of a glass, we saw it answered by another from one of the English cottages near the fazenda. The day was beautifully clear, and we had a splendid view of the surrounding country. On looking to the westward, however, it was evident that we were not on the most elevated point of the range, as we observed, about a mile distant, a broadly rounded peak considerably higher; and we accordingly determined to ascend it on the following day. I here met with two very interesting plants, one a beautiful tree-fern, which proved to be the Hemitelia Capensis, a native of the Cape of Good Hope, which is a remarkable fact in the geographical distribution of plants, as tree-ferns have a very limited range; the other was a very handsome herbaceous plant, about four feet high, with a woolly stem, and large leaves, not unlike those of a Verbascum, exhibiting large panicles of orange coloured flowers; it belonged to the natural order Compositæ, and as it proved to be a new genus, I named it after my late lamented friend, J. E. Bowman, Esq., of Manchester.
Early on the following day, we started to ascend the loftiest peak of the mountain before noticed, and found it to be a more fatiguing journey than that of the previous day, in consequence of having to cut our way through two or three wooded tracts, of considerable breadth; the paths of the tapir, however, frequently facilitated our progress. Very shortly after we started, we were agreeably surprised to find, in the lower part of the valley we had to cross, a beautiful little stream of cool and limpid water, descending from the more elevated parts of the mountain, and flowing towards the east; in many places there were pools considerably broader and deeper than the general course of the stream, which, judging from the paths leading into them, had been formed by the tapirs that inhabit this portion of the mountain, where they can enjoy, undisturbed, their favourite luxury of cold bathing. This valley is somewhat less than a quarter of a mile square, and is covered on both sides of the stream, but particularly on the west, with virgin forests, the trees of which are of considerable size, one of the largest being a species of Weinmannia. The soil appears to be of excellent quality, there being a good depth of alluvial matter; indeed, in no part of Brazil have I seen a spot where a person, desirous of excluding himself from the world, could find a retreat, at once so healthy, beautiful, and fertile, as this; here all kinds of European fruits and vegetables might be cultivated in the greatest perfection; and the stream, besides furnishing a constant supply of the most delicious water, might likewise be made to work a small mill. Passing over a hill that bounds the western side of this valley, we came upon an open flat marshy tract, the greater part of which is covered with a tall grass, about five feet high, growing in tufts. Leaving this we entered another wooded spot, formed of trees of a much smaller size than those before observed, and passed through it along the tracks of the tapir, where I was rather surprised to observe that while the stem and branches of almost every tree were covered with the beautiful little Sophronitis grandiflora, no other orchideous plant was to be seen; beyond this, we met with no more wood; the vegetation consisting of various herbaceous plants, and a few stunted shrubs. From the wooded region, the summit of the mountain is gained by a steep acclivity, on one side of which is a broad ravine, full of immense blocks of granite.
The summit of this peak we found to be very different from that we visited the day before, consisting of one great mass of granite, flat on its surface, and of considerable extent; the rock is for the most part bare, but some portions of the western side were covered with a vegetation of stunted shrubs, and herbaceous plants; among the latter, the most abundant was the pretty Prepusa Hookeriana, the large inflated calyces of which resemble those of some species of catchfly; on the very summit, were seen many little excavations in the rock, full of excellent water, and had we been aware of this, it would have saved us the trouble of carrying with us a supply in bottles. The day was very fine, but a broad belt of clouds that spread around the mountain below us, prevented us from enjoying the extensive view on which we had fully calculated. At mid-day, the thermometer indicated a temperature of 64°, in the shade, and I found that water boiled at a heat of 198°, from which I estimate the height of the mountain above the level of the sea to be 7,800 feet. A register of the thermometer, kept during our stay on the upper regions of the Serra, and observed on the level of Mr. March’s fazenda, gave a mean difference of temperature between the two places, of 12° 5´. Baron Humboldt estimates the mean decrement of heat within the tropics, at 1° for every 344 feet of elevation, and considers this ratio as uniform up to the height of 8,000 feet, beyond which it is reduced to three-fifths of that quantity, as far as the elevation of 20,000 feet; it has, however, been since found, that in general the effect of elevation above the level of the sea in diminishing temperature, is, in all latitudes, nearly in proportion to the height, the decrement being 1° of heat for every 352 feet of altitude;[21] this would give 4,400 feet for the elevation of the highest peak of the Organ mountains, above Mr. March’s fazenda,[22] and as this is 3,100 feet above the level of the sea, we have for the total greatest elevation, 7,500 feet. We returned to our former resting-place in the evening, well pleased with our day’s excursion.
On the morning of the 12th, at 6 o’clock, the thermometer indicated 44°, the weather being very clear, and accompanied with a sharp breeze from the westward. On climbing to the top of the rock under which we had slept, one of the most magnificent views I have ever seen presented itself. Towards Rio de Janeiro the immense bay, and all the country intervening between it and the mountain, were hidden from us, by a mass of snow-white clouds, spread out, apparently, about 3,000 feet below the point where we stood; shortly after sunrise, this space appeared like a vast ocean covered with foam, the resemblance being increased by the tops of the lower mountains rising through them, like islands; in the opposite direction, the valley in which Mr. March’s fazenda stands was also obscured, in a similar manner, by clouds, giving it the appearance of an extensive lake, surrounded on all sides by mountains; but as the sun gained power, these clouds gradually dispersed.
After breakfast, Mr. Hockin started again to visit the highest peak, for the purpose of making a panoramic sketch from its summit, but did not succeed, owing to the cloudy state of the atmosphere that surrounded it; I did not accompany him, as I preferred making a few lateral excursions in the vicinity of our encampment. Late in the evening we observed a phenomenon, often witnessed on the tops of mountains; large masses of clouds, in a continued stream, came rolling from the westward over the tops of the peaks, but no sooner had they reached the upper part of the valley opposite our hut, than they disappeared, the vapour being dissolved by the higher temperature of the air that existed on the opposite side of the mountain; it is in this manner that a mass of clouds is often seen as if resting on a high peak, even when a strong breeze is blowing. On the morning of the 13th we bade adieu to our rocky dwelling, and slept that night in a little hut we erected in a grove of small palms and tree-ferns, by the side of a small stream, the sides of which were fringed with beautiful herbaceous ferns. On the following afternoon we reached the fazenda, after an absence of six days.
In order to gratify my desire of examining the virgin forests which exist on the banks of the Rio Parahyba, I determined to make a hurried visit there previous to my return to Rio de Janeiro. The Parahyba forms the boundary between the provinces of Rio and Minas Geräes, but only after it has been joined by the Parahybuna. On this expedition I was again accompanied by Mr. Hockin, and was glad to have so excellent a companion. We left the fazenda on the 24th of March, and after a journey of seven leagues, arrived at a farm called Serra do Capim. We followed a new road, which was in progress of construction under the superintendence of Col. Leite, a wealthy planter, leading from Piedade, over the Organ mountains, towards Minas Geräes, but it was then in a barely passable condition. By far the greater part of the country through which we travelled was in a state of nature, being covered with virgin forests, abounding in tree-ferns and palms.
The fazenda where we rested belonged to a gentleman residing in Rio, but the letter I carried to the manager of the farm procured us a hearty reception; corn was immediately ordered for our mules, and we were shortly regaled with an excellent supper. We found our host to be a kind and intelligent old man, who informed me that he had followed the profession of apothecary for many years in Minas; like most of the fazendeiros in Brazil, he acts as physician to the hospital of this estate, so that he was glad of an opportunity of consulting me on most of the cases under his charge. Next morning he would not allow us to depart till after breakfast.
On leaving this place we soon passed through some of the finest forests I had yet seen in the province, and in the afternoon arrived at a large coffee plantation, called Monte Caffé, the distance being about seven leagues. This fazenda belonged to a Brazilian called Brigadeiro Ignacio Gabriel, to whom I had also letters of recommendation. Although we did not find him at home, we were most kindly welcomed to the estate by his lady, and Mr. Hadley, his chief manager, who is an Englishman, and whom I had formerly met at Mr. March’s, during my stay there in 1837. The estate was at this time only in its infancy, but it was considered to be one of the finest in the district, and although the trees were young, it was expected that they would this year yield 12,000 arrobas of coffee, of 32lbs. each. At the period of our visit, the berries were just beginning to colour, and the branches were bent down with the weight of their produce. The country here consists of low hills, upon which the plantations are formed; these hills had previously been covered with forest. There were about 200 slaves on the estate, 70 of whom only were employed as field-labourers, the others being occupied at various trades, such as cabinet-makers, carpenters, masons, blacksmiths, &c. A few days previous to our arrival, about twenty young negro boys, recently imported, were brought up from Rio; they appeared to be between ten and fifteen years of age, and none could yet speak Portuguese. They were all active, healthy little fellows, running about laughing, playing, and seemingly happy and unconscious of the circumstances in which they were placed. In justice, however, to the Brazilians, I must say of them, after an experience of five years, that they are far from being hard task-masters, and that with very few exceptions, I found them kind and considerate to their slaves. The Brigadier had lately erected an excellent saw-mill, which was driven by water-power, and he was then erecting a large stove for the purpose of drying coffee by artificial heat. The superintendence of this work was undertaken by a German, who had resided for many years in the island of Java.