ON THE RIVERS AND CREEKS. 185 



which check his progress until a passage is cut. 

 Then, also, he sees great clumps of palms (Bactris), 

 beds of marantas, and large masses of tree roots 

 extending out into the water, and can understand 

 that as they increase the channel must become 

 narrower and narrower. That tree which towers 

 so far overhead has an immense cluster of roots 

 which are washed perfectly clean on the creek 

 bank, and even overhang it. If it were not that 

 its branches are wedged and interlaced so closely 

 with its neighbours you would think it dangerous 

 to pass under. It has gone on for years en- 

 croaching farther and farther, and now the creek 

 begins to resent the consequent narrowing of its 

 channel. Already it has given the forest giant a 

 warning by excavating a deep hole under its roots, 

 and now only waits that increase of power which 

 will come with the heavy rains to overthrow the 

 stately giant. 



That clump of thorny palms, so impenetrable to 

 both man and beast, is also at work vainly attempt- 

 ing to curb the powerful stream. One sucker after 

 another comes up, each a few inches beyond its 

 neighbour, and in a year or two the clump forms a 

 little headland, which drives the stream to deepen 

 its channel on the opposite side. During the long, 

 dry season, while the water was low, the palm 



