254 IN THE GUIANA FOREST. 



would be broken in pieces. It may be easily seen 

 that with this contrivance the mangrove hardly 

 offers any opposition to the flood, but allows it to 

 flow freely through its maze of roots. If a floating 

 island should be entangled in its meshes when 

 coming down the river, it is generally set free 

 when the tide rises, as there are no thorns or 

 protuberances of any kind upon the buttresses or 

 branches. The result is that whether the water 

 be high or low the tree remains quite comfortable, 

 and lets the fishes play about its props to their 

 hearts' content. As it does not rise to any great 

 height it is equally safe in the strongest gale, as 

 there is absolutely nothing to overthrow. Even if 

 we could conceive of its being uprooted and carried 

 away, the result would be simply transplanting to 

 another spot. 



Perhaps the most interesting thing about the 

 mangrove is its fruit. The radicle commences to 

 grow while the seed is still attached to the branch, 

 and before it drops is generally a foot or more in 

 length. Like great spike-nails, clubbed and pointed 

 at the lower end, they hang straight downwards, 

 ready when the time comes to drop and stick 

 themselves upright in the mud. Then they sprout 

 above and penetrate the mud with their roots, after 

 which they quickly rise and throw out their charac- 



