10 THE FOREST. 



But in hot countries the woods are not like our 

 woods. They are great dark forests, where the 

 trees grow so thickly together, and are so tall, that 

 if you looked up you could hardly see the sky. 

 Then, there are a great many climbing -plants, 

 that twist themselves round and round the trunks 

 and branches of the trees. They are called vege- 

 table cables, because they are so much like ropes, 

 and they reach from one tree to another, and 

 almost fill up the spaces between. The white 

 man has to fight his way with his hatchet, or else 

 burn himself a passage. 



Dangers of every kind lurk in the forest. The 

 quick subtle Indian dare not venture without his 

 poisoned arrow, or the white man without the 

 thunder and lightning of his gun. The venomous 

 snake may lie coiled among the bushes, or traces 

 of the savage jaguar be seen upon the path. 



Birds, animals, and insects live undisturbed. 

 It is their home ; and on every side they are at 

 work, hunting their prey, or escaping from danger. 

 Man is not there to wage war upon them ; but 

 these wild creatures of the forest wage war upon 



