OF THE OLD WORLD. 397 



I got two glorious fellows, weif>liing about five 

 pounds each, in exchange for a silver quarter-franc 

 piece, which made a welcome addition to our supper. 

 Our camp this night appeared to be the head- 

 quarters of the mosquito tribes , for they settled 

 upon us in myriads, keeping up a perpetual hum, 

 and not allowing a moment's rest. It was posi- 

 tively amusing at times to hear the exclamations 

 and growling of some of the people who were 

 driven almost wild with continued torture. Strange 

 to say, they scarcely molested me, although the 

 faces of some of the others were much swollen by 

 the multiplicity of their stings. With those sleep 

 was out of the question, so they made a huge fire, 

 round which they got some relief. 



Sunrise saw us again en route, and after a most 

 delightful ride of about ten miles up the river, 

 through glorious woods of gigantic oak, beech, and 

 walnut, or glades of rich nutritious grasses, we 

 entered a most picturesque valley, which for beauty 

 of scenery and rich fertility far exceeded anything 

 that I had hitherto seen. On each side rose densely- 

 wooded hills, here and there broken into gorgeously- 

 coloured cliffs and dark winding ravines, whilst 

 every turn displayed lovely vistas, stately avenues, 

 groves of blossoming shrubs, clumps of gigantic 

 forest-trees covered with festoons of the wild vine, 

 and green slopes clothed with delicious verdure, 

 forming a park-like scene far surpassing any of our 

 finest demesnes in Old Endand. 



