THE TROPIC BIRD. 4*9 



adjacent continent, calculating to come out on the sea-coast about 

 the break of day, should things go on well. It rained piteously 

 during the greater part of the night ; and I do not remember ever to 

 have had such wretched accommodation, or to have been exposed for 

 so long a spell to such an incessant soaking. Soon after the dawn 

 of day, we were on the sea-coast to windward; and about ten o'clock 

 the ebbing waters left us high and dry, upon an almost boundless 

 mud-flat. Here we lay all day long, without any chance of returning 

 to the shore, or of getting out to sea. 



We were not surprised that everything had got wet, for during 

 our nocturnal progress it had taken the labour of one negro to bale 

 the water out of the canoe. 



I felt grateful for a sunny day to dry our clothes, after such a night 

 of rain. The day, indeed, was scorching. A blazing sun beat full 

 upon us, and gave to the surrounding mud-flat the appearance of an 

 immeasurable looking-glass. On every side of us were egrettes 

 and herons, scarlet curlews and spoonbills, and other sea-fowl, 

 in countless numbers, all feeding on the crabs which swarmed 

 throughout the mud-flat. At a considerable distance from us, and 

 far beyond the reach of shot, we counted above five hundred flamin- 

 goes, which were ranged in a straight line, putting us in mind of a 

 file of soldiers in the scarlet uniform. 



There could scarcely have been a more unfavourable time for an 

 expedition to the Grand Connetable, as the spring tides had already 

 set in. The turbulence and angry aspect of the returning evening 

 tide showed us the folly and danger of proceeding onwards. Where- 

 fore I reluctantly abandoned the idea of visiting the stupendous rock; 

 and we took advantage of the tide of flood to regain the town of 

 Cayenne, which we reached after another night of hardship, in a 

 worse condition than when we first set out. 



Exposure to the pelting rain on the preceding night had brought 

 on inflammation of the oesophagus, a complaint which I had never 

 known before. The act of deglutition became so exceedingly pain- 

 ful, that I was obliged to live on bread soaked in tea for three suc- 

 ceeding days; and even with this light food I barely escaped from 

 using the lancet. 



I now gave up all thoughts of procuring the tropic bird, as I could 



