ch. xin.] A Curious Dinner. 271 



the stuff" in the house, and shouldered my gun and left 

 our guides to think matters over. We had not proceeded 

 above a mile, however, before " Kurow " overtook us, and 

 went on ahead as cheerful as possible. After an hour or 

 two of rough walking on shelving forest-paths, varied here 

 and there by slippery logs, we came to a mountain-stream, 

 probably one of the tributaries of the Haya-Haya. Here, 

 in a large stone trap, the worthy "Kurow" was fortunate 

 enough to find a large wild cat. I had not spoken to 

 him since he overtook us, but I could not resist the 

 opportunity of reminding him that this was one of his 

 lucky days ! We crossed here, the water being deliciously 

 fresh and cool, and another hour's stiff walking brought 

 us over the base of the next spur, and to our old quarters, 

 the " Sleeping Bock," where we were to rest for the 

 night. This is a gigantic overhanging boulder near a 

 foaming torrent. A pretty little maidenhair fern, before 

 alluded to, grew here in great plent}', and attained the 

 greatest luxuriance among the debris of former camp 

 fires. Overhead a colony of mason bees had established 

 themselves, forming multitudes of little rounded mud 

 nests on the face of the rock, and when we lighted our 

 fires the smoke disturbed them much. A still greater 

 nuisance, however, was our guide, " Kurow," who made 

 a fire and commenced to cook his wild cat by roasting it, 

 hair, skin and all, without the slightest preparation. 

 When Mr. Veitch and myself slept here during my first 

 visit, he had two rats — rather high they were too — which 

 he roasted entire, and ate with great satisfaction ! The 

 soil near the bottom of these immense spurs is very rich, 

 as attested by the luxuriance of bamboo and species of 

 ginger which are comparatively puny on poor land. 

 Beside the mountain torrents a pink-spathed aroid 

 (Gamogyne Burbidgei, N. E. Br.) is common, and rather 



