"BLAZING A TRAIL." 179 



this serious casualty of " getting lost, " dangerous enough 

 in an ordinary forest, becomes almost certain death in 

 such a region as we are now describing. In the equa- 

 torial forest, it is in fact perilous to stray from 

 the path, even for a few yards, as, on account of the 

 numerous obstacles, it is impossible to hold a straight 

 course for any distance, the direction during a very 

 short progress heading towards every point of the 

 compass, so that a stranger soon loses his idea of di- 

 rection. Mr. H. H. Smith while travelling in the Bra- 

 zilian forests states that he engaged the services of 

 two Indians as guides, and each man carried a ham- 

 mock, blanket, sack of mandioca meal, wood-knife and 

 calabash of water; some of the party also had guns 

 and fishing tackle. 



In these countries a " Machete, " or species of stout 

 slashing knife, with which to cut through obstructive 

 trailing creepers, forms a necessary part of a man's 

 equipment, without which it would be impossible to 

 travel far. Mr. Stanley's expedition seems likewise 

 to have been well supplied with various kinds of cutting 

 weapons, and special precautions against getting lost 

 were wisely adopted, in marking the track, as they 

 passed along; the orders being that 



" Each man as he walked along, should choose an obstruct- 

 ing liana or branch, and give one sharp cut and pass on: 

 the two head men confining themselves to an effective and 

 broad blaze, on the trees, every ten yards or so. As the 

 rear party would not follow for two months, we were very 

 particular" (says Mr. Stanley) "that these blazes should be 

 quite a hand's breadth peel of bark." * 



It is to be feared, however, that in many places the 



* In Darkest Africa, by Henry M. Stanley, 1890, Vol. i, p. 142. 



