208 ITS SCENERY. 



trees at intervals; and others arching- over the 

 stream^ their branches nearly touching* the Avater. 

 Gig-antic climbers hung* down in long- festoons 

 passing- from branch to branchy and the more ag-ed 

 trunks supported clumps of ferns and parasitical 

 plants. Here and there an areca palm shot up its 

 slender stem surmounted by a cluster of pale-g-reen 

 feathery leaves^ or the attention was arrested for a 

 moment by a mag-nificent pandanus — its trunk 

 raised hig-h above the ground by the enormous 

 supporting- root-like shoots^— or some g-raceful tree- 

 fern with dark widely-spreading- foliage exceeding 

 in delicacy the finest lace. 



Meanwhile the creek had slightly narrowed^ the 

 dead trees in the water became more frequent and 

 troublesome^ and the thickets on the banks encroached 

 more and more upon the channel so as not to alloAV 

 room for the oars to pass^ obliging the men to use 

 them as poles. At every turn in the windings of 

 the stream (still too brackish to be fit to drink) some 

 beautiful glimpse of jungle scenery presented itself 

 as we passed upwards — long- vistas and stray bursts 

 of sunshine alternating with the gloomy shadows of 

 the surrounding woods. A deep silence pervaded 

 the banks of this water never before visited by 

 civilized man^ its monotony broken onl}^ by the 

 occasional brief word of command^ the splash of 

 the oarS; or the shrill notes of some passing flights 

 of parrots. The river^ for now it might fairly be 

 called one, retained the same character until we had 



