THE SUSPENSION-BRIDGE. 



203 



the Suspension-bridge, and its vegetable origin, before passing 

 to the animal. 



I have little if any doubt that the modern Suspension- 

 bridge, with all its complicated mathematical proportions, was 

 originally suggested by the creepers of tropical climates. There 

 are few points in a tropical forest, no matter in what part of 



SUSPENSION-BRIDGE. 



the world, more striking than the wonderful development of the 

 creeping plants. The trees are very much like those of our own 

 forests, and are in no way remarkable, but the creeping plants 

 form the chief feature of the woods. 



They extend themselves to unknown lengths, crawling up to 

 the very summit of a lofty tree, hanging down to the very 

 ground, if not caught by a midway branch, running along the 

 earth, making their way up another tree, and so on ad infinitum. 

 They interlace with each other, forming almost impenetrable 

 thickets, as has already been mentioned while treating of Nets, 

 and there is scarcely a tree that is not connected with its 

 neighbour by means of these wonderful creeping plants. 



Of course the monkey tribes make great use of them in pass- 

 ing from one tree to another, thus being able to avoid the 

 ground, which is never to a monkey's liking. Man, therefore, 

 copies the example of the monkey, and makes use, either of the 

 creepers themselves, or of ropes stretched from tree to tree in 

 imitation of them. 



In some parts of the world, where palm wine, or " toddy," is 



