292 PRIMEVAL WOODS. [chap. xiv. 



logs had been displaced, they skipped from one to the 

 other, almost with the quickness and certaint)"^ of a dog. 

 On both hands the road is bordered by the lofty forest- 

 trees, with their bases matted together by canes. When 

 occasionally a long reach of this avenue could be beheld, 

 it presented a curious scene of uniformity ; the white 

 line of logs, narrowing in perspective, became hidden 

 by the gloomy forest, or terminated in a zigzag which 

 ascended some steep hill. 



Although the distance from San Carlos to Castro is 

 only twelve leagues in a straight line, the formation of 

 the road must have been a great labour. I was told that 

 several people had formerly lost their lives in attempting 

 to cross the forest. The first who succeeded was an 

 Indian, who cut his way through the canes in eight days, 

 and reached San Carlos ; he was rewarded by the Spanish 

 Government with a grant of land. During the summer, 

 many of the Indians wander about the forests (but chiefly 

 in the higher parts, where the woods are not quite so 

 thick), in search of the half-wild cattle which live on the 

 leaves of the cane and certain trees. It was one of these 

 huntsmen who by chance discovered, a few years since, 

 an English vessel, which had been wrecked on the outer 

 coast. The crew were beginning to fail in provisions, 

 and it is not probable that, without the aid of this man, 

 they would ever have extricated themselves from these 

 scarcely penetrable woods. x\s it is, one seaman died on 

 the march from fatigue. The Indians in these excursions 

 steer by the sun ; so that if there is a continuance of 

 cloudy weather they cannot travel. 



The day was beautiful, and the number of trees which 

 were in full flower perfumed the air ; yet even this could 

 hardly dissipate the efi'ect of the gloomy dampness of the 

 forest. Moreover, the many dead trunks that stand like 

 skeletons, never fail to give to these primeval woods a 

 character of solemnity, absent in those of countries long 

 civilised. Shortly after sunset we bivouacked for the night. 

 Our female companion, who was rather good-looking, 

 belonged to one of the most respectable families in Castro ; 

 she rode, however, astride, and without shoes and stockings. 

 I was surprised at the total want of pride shown by her and 

 her brother. They brought food with them, but at all our 

 meals sat watching Mr. King and myself whilst eating, till 

 we were fairly shamed into feeding "the whole party. The 



