JAUNTS IN THE JUNGLE. 3] 



way through the underwood of the forest, as cautiously 

 and stealthily as possible, almost on our hands and 

 knees, our guns on full cock, and ready for another 

 charge as soon as the enemy chooses. 



Confound those innumerable blue wood pigeons ! 

 how they frighten no, not frighten how they make 

 one start as they get on the wing every moment 

 around us ! but bruin has evidently cleared the jungle, 

 for here we are out of the wood in a large open space, 

 with shrubs scattered every here and there as regularly 

 as if they had been planted ; the turf under-foot is 

 like velvet, and flowers that would grace the choicest 

 rows in a hothouse, spring up wild and luxuriant in 

 every direction ! 



Bearing a perfume more delicious than any cul- 

 tivated plants I have ever met with, here they bloom, 

 live their day or week, and die, without an eye to see 

 their beauty, or a nose (except a pig's in an attempt 

 to get at their roots) to appreciate the intense aroma 

 of their scent. 



Here let us sit down for a while, and regale ourselves 

 with a diluted nip from our " pocket-pistol," whilst 

 we send our followers forward to that mass of rocks 

 ahead of us, and if we do not find the gentleman we 

 are in search of at home, in some snug cavern there- 

 abouts, I pledge myself to stand two dozen of " Moet's 

 best" on our return to head-quarters. 



We are possibly engaged in the occupation of ex- 

 tracting innumerable diminutive harpoons from our 



