182 JUNGLE PEACE 



a glory of blossoms white convolvulus gleam- 

 ing everywhere, then pale yellow allamandas, 

 and later, orchid-like, violet, butterfly peas 

 which at first flowered among the ashes on the 

 ground, but climbed as soon as they found sup- 

 port. Little by little, a five-finger vine flung 

 whole chains of bloom over stumps, logs and 

 bushes, a beautiful, blood-red passion flower, 

 whose buds looked like strings of tiny Chinese 

 lanterns. 



Soon another type of plant appeared, with 

 hollow and jointed stems, pushing out fans of 

 fingered leaves, swiftly, wasting no time in 

 branching, but content with a single spike 

 piercing up through strata of grass and reeds, 

 through shrubs and bushes until it won to the 

 open sky. This was the cecropia or trumpet 

 tree, falsely appearing firm and solid stemmed, 

 but quite dominant in the neglected tangle. 



We started early one morning with small 

 axes and sharp machetes, and single file, began 

 to cut and hew and tear a narrow trail south- 

 ward. For some distance we found almost a 

 pure culture of the cecropia trees, through which 

 we made rapid progress which aroused entirely 

 false hopes. It was a joy to crash obliquely 



