256 TlMEHRI, 



an old Indian path that may have been in existence for 

 centuries, as it conne6ls the head waters of two creeks, 

 we passed to the sand reef, where a walk at this time 

 was cool and pleasant. Later, the glare would be 

 terrific — the white sand hot to the feet — but now we 

 could wander for miles without any other inconvenience 

 than the fear of being lost in such a maze. However 

 we exposed two plates, and in returning through the 

 forest used the remainder. 



Now came a most difficult operation : — without the con- 

 venience of a dark room to change those which had been 

 exposed for others. We had provided ourselves with a 

 black bag into which a ruby glass window was inserted, 

 and within this hot and stuffy receptacle our photographer 

 had to creep. Although the work only took up a minute 

 or two he came out flushed and in a bath of perspiration. 

 However, it was done and we were ready for further 

 operations. Leaving our impedimenta in camp we 

 proceeded up the creek, intending to get a view of the 

 open savannah with its fringe of eta palms, but here the 

 difficulty of focussing was too great for success. There 

 was nowhere except on the curved sides of the bateau 

 for the legs of the Camera ; if they had been put over- 

 board they would simply have sunk down into the mud 

 and water. Then the sedges were very tall and too 

 much in the foreground, so that although the pifture was 

 taken it turned out very poor. Somewhat disappointed, 

 we again went back to the jungle and made several attempts 

 to get standing room for creek scenes. This portion of the 

 forest was inundated — the buttressed trees rising from 

 irregular pools and mazes of winding channels, choked 

 by a dense thicket of prickly palms, saplings, creepers 



