330 



TlMEHRI. 



were everywhere visible. In the neighbourhood of 

 Itabru, scarcely a palm was to be seen along the water- 

 side, except here and there a tooroo or loo, though in 

 the forest the cokeritiballi was very plentiful. Orchidsj 

 common species of Epidendron, Brassia, Brassavola, 

 etc., were fairly common, while most lovely clumps of 

 Diacrum hicornutum grew on the high branches of many 

 of the dead trees. 



On the gth of 06lober, feeling somewhat recovered 

 from the fever, I determined to start for the Christmas 

 catara6ls — the boat meantime having returned from 

 Coomacka (on the 3rd) — and by careful handling, partly 

 by water and partly over the rocks, we easily took the 

 bateau over Itabru. Just above, the river curves round 

 sharply, and, at the catara6l of the Little Itabru, is 

 discharged through a narrow channel a few yards in 

 width, where the rush of the water is terrible. Above 

 this follow deep curves and windings of the river, and 

 three rapids and a catara6l in quick succession, and 

 then the Umbrella catara6l is met with, where the river 

 again narrows to a small gorge, the channel being 

 divided by a large rock in the centre, on which a tree 

 with branches curving downwards has fastened itself* 

 much in the shape of an open umbrella. It was at this 

 catara6l that one of the gold diggers' boats got away 

 from the hands, who, stationed on the small island in the 

 centre, instead of on the bank, were able neither to 

 clear the loaded boat past the rush of water above, nor 

 to hold her against the force of the stream. The boat 

 drifted, curiously enough, quite safelv through the catara6l 

 below, and upset in the next rapid — everything being 

 lost ; while the men, chiefly new hands, were so 



