70 THE NAUTILUS. 



This growth which belongs in slightly brackish ground bordered 

 the hammocks and we had to get through it in some way to get 

 across the latter. Often we got into a pocket and after fighting 

 our way along for a while we were obliged to turn back and get 

 out the way we came in. At other times I got down and cut 

 my way through with my pocket knife so that we could push 

 our bags ahead and crawl after. In the real dry hammocks the 

 Bumelia was replaced by the pull-and-haul-back (Pisonia acu- 

 leata), and a tropical prickly ash (Zanthoxylum), to such an 

 extent that they were nearly impassable. Wherever we found 

 hammock I strained my eyes to find Liguus but saw none. 



There was only the ordinary development of sand flies and 

 common gray mosquitos, but we had scarcely gotten into the 

 swamp before we began to encounter swarms, or herds, or 

 droves, whichever they might beet be called, of an enormous 

 black mosquito, the largest and most terrifying I have ever 

 seen. They shone as if freshly varnished and came on with a 

 steady, leisurely flight as if they were sure of their victims. 

 The fore part of these monsters bent down in a remarkable way, 

 probably to allow the proboscis to get into action for some time 

 before the rest of the insect arrived. The doctor at once called' 

 them " Dirigibles" which we soon shortened to " Blimps" on 

 account of the inconvenience of using a word of four syllables 

 whenever we encountered them. When one of these became 

 filled with blood and slowly sailed away with its various ap- 

 pendages trailing below and after, it suggested a zeppelin in a 

 remarkable manner. 



For five dreadful hours we fought our way through this in- 

 ferno. Often the growth was so dense that we could not see the 

 sun and we constantly consulted our pocket compasses and bore 

 off to the west or northwest whenever it was possible. Some- 

 time before sundown I saw an open spot in front, then I caught 

 a glimpse of the sea and a date palm which some one had long 

 ago planted near the shore. In a moment we stepped out onto 

 a level, smooth, grass- covered prairie that stretched to the Torch 

 Key Channel, and we swung our hats and capered about like 

 boys. Taken all in all, I believe this was about the most diffi- 

 cult short tramp I ever made, and when we got near the shore I 

 was glad to throw myself down on the grass and rest. 



