NARRATIVE. 55 



there appeared enclosed — a ninepence ! He had taken it in ex- 

 change for a number of valuable skins. 



Pulling in for the beach we soon encountered the brown water of 

 the river, but its mouth was not to be seen, the sand-beach extending 

 apparently unbroken across the cove. When close in, however, we 

 discovered an opening in the corner, whence issued a rapid current, 

 and crossing a bar, we entered the mouth of the river, which is thus 

 shut off by a spit of sand extending from the south or left bank of the 

 river, northward across the stream, leaving only a narrow outlet. 

 Inside, the river has a breadth of forty or fifty yards, flowing through 

 a wide expanse of sand. This sand-beach is terraced, showing differ- 

 ent heights of the river, and above the beach a succession of ter- 

 races was marked in the forest. On the south side the sand spit is cut 

 away by the current, forming a vertical bank, in which is seen the 

 horizontal stratification of the sand and gravel. The same general 

 features were noticed subsequently at other rivers, and seem to de- 

 pend on a general law. 



On landing I walked towards the rapids, about a quarter of a mile 

 up the stream. The flies and musquitoes made their appearance as 

 soon as I entered the woods, and jumping down into the bed of the 

 stream with the intention of sketching the mass of water that was foam- 

 ing down over the rocks, I was instantly surro\mded by such swarms 

 that there was no getting on without a smudge. Even standing in 

 the midst of the' smoke, so many still clung to me that my paper was 

 sprinkled with the dead bodies of those killed as I involuntarily brush- 

 ed my hand across my face. We took refuge on the sand, at a dis- 

 tance from the woods, and here were comparatively free from them. 

 But here their place was supplied by sand flies, the hrulots or " no- 

 see-ems," an insect so minute as to be hardly noticeable, but yet more 

 annoying where they are found than the black flies or musquitoes, 

 for their minuteness renders musquito nets of no avail, and they 

 bite all night in warm weather, whereas the black fly disappears at 

 dark. Such is their eagerness in biting that they tilt their bodies 

 up vertically and seem to bury their heads in the flesh. We found, 

 however, that an anointment of camphorated oil was a complete 

 protection, making a coating too thick for them to penetrate, and 

 entangling their tiny wings and limbs. 



