188 THE NATURALIST IX NICARAGUA. [Ch. X. 



shrubs that the leaf-cutting ants do not touch, would 

 gradually spread, and beat back the grass. In their 

 shade and shelter, seeds from the forest would vege- 

 tate and grow, and thus, I think, very slowly, inch by 

 inch, the forest would regain its long-lost territory, and 

 gradually extend its limits towards the south-west, 

 until it reached its old boundaries, where a change in 

 the physical character of the land, or in the amount of 

 moisture precipitated, would stay its further progress. 

 It is far more likely, however, that man will drive back 

 the forest to the very Atlantic than that he will quit the 

 scene. 



After passing the Indian graves, about a league from 

 Libertacl, we turned off to the right, by a path that led 

 directly to the Mico, without going through the town. 

 After crossing several rounded grassy hills, we reached 

 the river, and found it swollen with recent rains, but 

 fordable. Sometimes travellers are detained several days, 

 unable to cross, and I \vas always glad when, return- 

 ing to the mines, I had put it behind me. Now and 

 then a traveller is drowned when attempting to cross the 

 swollen river, but these accidents are rare, as it is well 

 known, by certain rocks being covered, when it is unford- 

 able. If carried away, a traveller has little chance to save 

 his life, as just below the crossing the river is rapid and 

 the banks narrow. I heard of one man who had had 

 a very narrow escape. He was trying to cross on mule- 

 back, but his beast lost its footing, rolled over, and was 

 rapidly washed away. The poor man was carried into 

 the roaring rapids, and would soon have been drowned, 

 but a herdsman on the bank, who was looking for cattle, 

 threw his lasso cleverly over the drowning traveller, and 



