In the Bush with a Camera. 257 



and magnificent herbaceous plants. Here was indeed a 

 jungle of a most interesting kind and we began to look 

 for standing room. One beautiful scene after another 

 had to be abandoned on account of the utter impossi- 

 bility of fixing up the Camera and we almost despaired 

 of getting a pi6lure, However, after a great deal of 

 trouble we found the bole of a tree sufficiently large for 

 our purpose, and after free use of the cutlass and getting 

 sundry pricks from the spiny palm stems, at last suc- 

 ceeded. The view was however by no means perfe6l, 

 bush ropes and leaning trunks coming in the way, but it 

 might be considered as middling rather than bad. Back 

 again to our camp and a hearty breakfast, after which we 

 tried to take a piflure of the clearing. It was a very inter- 

 esting place. Several cocorite palms decorated the bor- 

 ders, behind which came second growth forest. Looking 

 round, the red man's footprints were visible in the plants 

 growing up from the otherwise bare sand. First came the 

 pine-apple in great clumps everywhere, diversified by one 

 or two thickets of krattee, the fibre plant so useful to the 

 Indian. Then came the beenas, the charms to bring 

 success in hunting, the most plentiful being the Bella- 

 donna lily (Hippeastrum equestre) which gave the effe6l 

 of a wild garden to the whole clearing. Looking farther, 

 a few Caladiums rewarded our search, together with 

 toya (Dianthera pe6loralis) and some other plants grown 

 as beenas or for medicinal purposes. We tried to get a 

 good view with some lilies in the foreground, but it 

 turned out very badly, possibly on account of a few 

 drops of rain falling just at the critical moment. 



After the shower was over we walked down to the 

 creek and took a pi6lure of the path leading up the hill, 



