A VISIT TO A BREEDING-PLACE OF THE PELICAN. 2538 
started about noon, and consequently got into the greatest heat, 
from which we suffered considerably. We lost our way into the 
bargain. The two little Red-footed Falcons we carried with us, 
too. At the “skelle” we took the first boat we could get and 
pushed off. On the road we met an old fisherman, who advised 
us to return, for the wind had caused great confusion amongst 
the islands; but we were not to be deterred. The graceful 
Aldrovandra now blossoms in quantities. The passage through 
the floating islands again caused us considerable trouble to-day, 
but we reached the “ Kuibide” without accident, and on the other 
side soon found the right entrance to the “‘ Girla.” We reached 
the fishing-hut by the most beautiful evening light. The ‘‘master” 
received us very kindly, and at once assigned us quarters—i. e., he 
gave us permission to open our mosquito-net by the side of his 
hut, and to do our work under it. After partaking of a good dish 
of fish, we made the necessary arrangements for to-morrow, for 
we were anxious not to lose time, and wanted to start for the 
Pelican colony as quickly as possible. Two little boats were soon 
found, and the old man’s boy was to accompany us. Soon after 
sunset we had to retire under the net, the mosquitos swarming in 
millions. 
July 17. Immediately after breakfast, which we had soon after 
sunrise, we began our journey. We had to row along the Girla 
for two or three hours, and then to turn to the right into the 
reeds. We therefore resolved to row as far as possible in our 
comfortable, larger boat, and took one of the smaller boats in 
tow, the boy getting into the other one. A deep blue sky smiled 
upon our enterprise. Our progress became difficult only too 
soon, for the broad channel was almost entirely overgrown with 
plants,—Stratiotes, Ceratophyllum demersum and submersum, and 
Nymphea,—so that large patches looked more like meadows. 
It cost us a deal of hard work to get through. At every stroke 
of the oars innumerable small butterflies flew up. The rays of 
the sun became scorching, and only rarely a breath of air refreshed 
us. We may have rowed for some three hours, when at last we 
noticed the place in the reeds where we had to enter the thicket. 
Here we anchored our large boat and got into the smaller one, which 
at first we had to drag over some fifty yards of shallow ground. 
The thicket was at first exclusively formed by bulrushes, adorned 
with Ranunculus lingua, Stachys palustris, Polygonum minus, 
