THE CONVICT TRAIL 183 



through the crisp hollow stems at one blow from 

 our great knives. The second man cut again 

 at the base and the rest took the severed stems 

 and threw or pushed them to one side, cutting 

 away any smaller growths. We soon learned 

 to be careful in handling the stems for they 

 were sanctuary for scores of a small stinging 

 ant, whose race had practiced preparedness for 

 many generations and who rushed out when the 

 stem was split by cutlass or ax. 



As we went on we learned that differences 

 in soil which were not apparent when the great 

 jungle covered everything, had now become of 

 much importance. On high sandy spots the 

 cecropias did not get that flying start which 

 they needed for their vertical straightaway dash. 

 Here a community of hollow reeds or bamboo 

 grass appeared from no one knows where. They 

 had grown and multiplied until their stems 

 fairly touched one another, forming a dense, 

 impenetrable thicket of green, silicious tubes 

 eight to twelve feet in length. These were 

 smooth and hard as glass and tapered beauti- 

 fully, making wonderfully light and strong 

 arrows with which our Akawai Indians shot fish. 

 Slow indeed was our progress through this. The 



