80 OUR SEARCH FOR A WILDERNESS. 



stool in a shady spot, and, figuratively, lay himself at my feet 

 to serve me, and Maestro even pugnacious Maestro 

 would weave wonderful baskets for me of the roots of the man- 

 grove; baskets in nests of twelve, each fitting snugly within 

 the other and all gayly dyed with the Venezuelan colors, the 



FIG. 43. SUNSET IN THE MANGROVE WILDERNESS. 



pigments being extracted from the leaves or stems of unknown 

 wild plants. 



The time passed all too quickly with each day spent on the 

 Guarapiche river a gleaming stage, with a setting of green 

 trees, brilliant flowers and fragrant orchids, and an ever- 

 changing plot with ever-changing actors. Of them all, man 

 was the least important. There were populous villages of 



