98 SPORT AND TRAVEL PAPERS 



thing that did not sound like a blessing, and still the snoring 

 went on even louder than before, and apparently in our room. 

 Without difficulty we traced it to a man, or woman, on the other 

 side of a very thin partition. This noise was not to be endured, 

 so we tried everything, from loud coughing, upsetting all things 

 within reach, including table and portmanteau, to hammering 

 against the wall. Nothing had the desired effect, the snoring 

 continued ; it was truly wonderful ! Tired out by our useless 

 efforts we at last dozed off, heaping blessings on the snorer's 

 head; but when, at 2.20 a.m., we prepared to start and the noise 

 still continued, fresh experiments were made upon the indi- 

 vidual's hearing powers, and, at last, our efforts were crowned 

 by success. A man appeared at the door evidently entirely 

 ignorant of his own and our performances, and instead of furious, 

 as we hoped and expected, he, to our mortification, seemed 

 delighted at being awoke and thus enabled also to get an early 

 start. A glorious ride followed, a ride by moonlight through the 

 dense tropical forest wrapped in deep gloom below, but above 

 lighted up by the silvery moonbeams, bright stars looking down 

 through the branches of the giant trees. Although fireflies 

 in thousands did their utmost to light us on our road, the track 

 at first was difficult to see, but the mules found their way easily 

 and surely, never making a mistake, whether going down or up 

 hill, over stones and rocks, or through the many watercourses. 

 Then came early dawn, a faint rosy haze at first over the east, 

 rapidly deepening in colour to a golden crimson, against which 

 the trees cresting the hill close by stood clearly defined, every 

 branch, every leaf almost, distinctly marked ; then the crimson 

 changed to a yellower light, and presently the first rays of the 

 rising sun struck the topmost branches of the highest trees, and 

 steadily creeping down lighted up and displayed to our view all 

 the beauties of a tropical forest, that wealth of vegetation which, 

 in order to find room, covers even the trees themselves with a 

 dense mantle of every shade of green, forming a background 

 to enormous bouquets of the deep crimson catleyas and other 

 gorgeous orchids. Not only had we all this to admire, but 

 bright-coloured birds and insects darted about in all directions, 

 gorgeous scarlet macaws and toucans and lovely humming-birds, 

 butterflies and beetles of every shade and hue. Many beautiful 

 glimpses we got when the sun had dispersed the mist of the 



