Giant Trees Laden With Their Burden Of Orchids, Parasites And Dangling Lianas, Surrounded Us On Both Sides, Their Wide-Spreading Branches Forming A Leafy Arcade Far Over Our Heads, While Palms In Infinite Variety, Intermixed With All Sorts Of Tropical Forms Of Vegetation, And Rare Ferns, Grew Thickly On The Banks.

Some distance behind us came our large fleet of canoes, bearing our bags of rice and over one hundred

Carriers, and as they paddled down the dark green oily waters of this natural arcade, with much shouting and the splashing of many paddles, it made a scene which is with me yet and is never to be forgotten. As we proceeded, the river got more narrow, and fallen trees from time to time obstructed our way. We at length landed at a spot where we were met by a large number of the Baruga tribe, who brought us several live pigs tied to poles, and great quantities of sago, plantains and yams. They had expected us, as we had camped in their country the previous night. They had been "licked" into friendliness by Monckton, who less than a year ago (as elsewhere mentioned) had sunk their canoes, and together with the aid of the crocodiles, which swarm in this river, had annihilated a large force of them. And now to show their friendliness they were prepared to do us a good turn, by helping us to find these duck-footed people, with whom (they told us) they were well acquainted.

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