34 LIFE OF THE AUTHOR. 



of trees into the Atlantic Ocean. We soon found it necessary to 

 get the vessel into the eddy water, close to the bank, and at all the 

 points where the stream met us, we carried out a hawser in the small 

 boat, and lashed it to the branches of the trees which overhung the 

 river. By means of this perpetual warping, we worked our slow and 

 tedious way up to Sacopan, and thence to the fort at Barrancas, 

 where the Spanish officers provided us with a craft of their own. It 

 was a long boat, schooner-rigged, and admirably adapted to the service 

 for which it was intended. During the whole of the passage up the 

 river, there was a grand feast for the eyes and ears of an ornitholo- 

 gist. In the swampy parts of the wooded islands, which abound in 

 this mighty river, we saw waterfowl innumerable ; and when we had 

 reached the higher grounds, it was quite charming to observe the 

 immense quantities of parrots and scarlet aras which passed over 

 our heads. The loud, harsh screams of the bird called the horned- 

 screamer were heard far and near; and I could frequently get a 

 sight of this extraordinary bird as we passed along ; but I never 

 managed to bring one down with the gun, on account of the diffi- 

 culty of approaching it. Whilst we were wending our way up the 

 river, an accident happened of a somewhat singular nature. There 

 was a large labarri snake coiled up in a bush, which was close to us. 

 I fired at it, and wounded it so severely that it could not escape. 

 Being wishful to dissect it, I reached over into the bush, with the 

 intention to seize it by the throat, and convey it aboard. The 

 Spaniard at the tiller, on seeing this, took the alarm, and im- 

 mediately put his helm a-port. This forced the vessel's head to the 

 stream, and I was left hanging to the bush with the snake close to 

 me, not having been able to recover my balance as the vessel veered 

 from the land. I kept firm hold of the branch to which I was 

 clinging, and was three times overhead in the water below, pre- 

 senting an easy prey to any alligator that might have been on the 

 look-out for a meal. Luckily, a man who was standing near the 

 pilot, on seeing what had happened, rushed to the helm, seized 

 hold of it, and put it hard a-starboard, in time to bring the head of 

 the vessel back again. As they were pulling me up, I saw that the 

 snake was evidently too far gone to do mischief; and so I laid hold 

 of it, and brought it aboard with me, to the horror and surprise of 



