26 IN THE GUIANA FOREST. 



sunlight, rise up before us and present pictures of 

 loveliness that makes us feel how dear such 

 memories are. No matter that every trip was 

 more or less uncomfortable, and some even 

 dangerous, our pulse beats excitedly as we think 

 of nature in all her wildness and beauty. We 

 may spend days or weeks in an open boat, now 

 exposed to the intense glare of a tropical sun, and 

 anon drenched by sudden downpours of rain of 

 which other climes know nothing, yet our memories 

 remain as dear to us as if everything had been 

 pleasant. By day the journey was long and tire- 

 some, and when night came our rest was perhaps 

 disturbed by mosquitoes or sand-flies, yet the 

 magnificent scenery of the forest has been im- 

 pressed upon us in a way never to be forgotten. 

 Every trouble and difficulty every danger to 

 health or life has been gilded by a covering of 

 beautiful leaves and flowers. 



This enthusiasm for life in the bush is common 

 to all, but more especially to the huntsman and 

 naturalist. An ordinary traveller, however, soon 

 gets wearied of the awful silence ; to him every- 

 thing is uniform the forest is simply a jungle 

 or wilderness. He sees before him a confused 

 assemblage of pillars, supporting an enormous 

 green roof, of which he can distinguish but little 



