THE LAND OF A SINGLE TREE. 13 



few biting flies reminded us of the "terrible insect scourges" 

 of the tropics. Life was delightfully new and strange, with 

 the spice of danger ever attendant upon the exploration of 

 unknown lands. 



FIG. 5. THE CRUCIFIX IN THE CATFISH. 



The fishes attracted our attention from the first. When 

 we came on deck before sunrise for a plunge, our little vessel 

 would be surrounded by hosts of catfish (Pseudauchenipterus 

 nodosus] all, like our sloop, headed upstream against the tide. 

 They would bite indifferently at bait, a bit of cloth, or a bare 

 hook, and were delicious eating. On the bottom our hooks 

 would sometimes be taken by great fierce-whiskered cats, 



