CAMPING. OUT. 97 
ly the tracks of what must have been an enormous leop- 
ard. Happily we had plenty of fire-wood in our canoe. 
The spot where we were to spend the night was mis- 
erable: the ground was damp, and it was also dirty, for 
there were bones of fishes and wild animals, the skins of 
plantains scattered all over, and the remains of extin- 
guished fires. The whole country seemed to be nothing 
but bog land. 
The first thing we did was to attend to our mus- 
quito-nets. We cut the large branches of the palm 
and stuck four of them into the ground to hang our nets 
upon. How to sleep? this was the next great question. 
I did not like the idea of sleeping on the bare ground in 
a country where snakes were abundant. But what was 
to be done? It was getting late, so reluctantly I cut 
the leaves of the palm, put them thick one upon the 
other, and then laid my mat over the whole; my men 
did the same; the fires were lighted—about which we 
had some trouble, for my matches were wet. During 
the day, it being so warm, I had been afraid to carry 
them in my pocket or put them in a place where the sun 
shone, for fear that they would hght of themselves. I 
had therefore placed them under the seat, and they had 
dropped down to the bottom of the canoe. So we had to 
use our flints and tinder. 
When night came our fires were blazing, and the 
sight of our camp was curious in the extreme. I was 
quietly lying between two immense fires, which almost 
surrounded me, for I had a lively fear of the snakes and 
I did not like the idea of one coming round me at night. 
It is strange how it is possible to enjoy a fire in the 
woods in this damp and warm climate. 
1D) 
