in Search of OrcJiidece. 115 



fish in the morning ; and when that was the case, having landed 

 me and one of the party to collect M^ood and light a fire, the 

 rest betook themselves to some of the rocky falls of the river, 

 and seldom returned without a supply of fish. In the meantime, 

 I pursued, cutlass in hand, my researches after Orchideee, some- 

 times accompanied by an Indian, but generally alone; as the 

 Indians, fatigued with paddling, did not offer, nor could I expect 

 them, to go in pursuit of a few plants, the value of which they 

 did not appreciate. There was a something which directed me 

 in the choice of our resting-places which I cannot describe ; for 

 had I been asked, at the time, Why do you suppose that Orchidese 

 are growing near that spot ? I could not have given a direct and 

 definite reason : but there was, I repeat it, a something in the 

 appearance of the trees, the situation of the spot, a something 

 not to be defined to any particular feature,^ but emanating from 

 the whole, which seemed to assure me that Orchideae might be 

 found there ; nor was I often disappointed. On the other hand, 

 it sometimes happened that no such place presented itself in 

 reasonable time ; and, being compelled to land in ordinary places, 

 I seldom found any thing of consequence. I used to wander 

 into and along the skirts of the bush, till recalled by the whoop 

 of the Indians, which gave notice that oar frugal meal was pre- 

 pared ; and I then generally returned by a circuitous route, 

 guided either by the whoop, repeated at intervals by the Indians, 

 and which I learned to answer in their fashion, by the rays of 

 the sun, or by a small and excellent pocket compass, my constant 

 companion in the wilds of America. 



Having consumed about an hour since the time of landing, 

 I once more reentered the canoe, which continued its course, 

 with slight delays occasioned by my landing in any favourable- 

 looking spot, or calling at some Indian settlement, till between 

 five and six o'clock, when we landed for the night ; and I again 

 wandered a little way, while the Indians were slinging their 

 hammocks, and getting ready the dinner. The sun sets in De- 

 merara from six to a quarter past, and in ten minutes after, per- 

 fect darkness succeeds ; so that our dinner was eaten by the 

 light of our fire : and about seven o'clock we all turned into 

 our hammocks ; the Indians soon sinking into their slight watch- 

 ful repose, while I was thinking over the events of the day, the 

 discoveries made, and treasures collected, and forming plans for 

 future expeditions. It sometimes happened that I awoke in the 

 night, and found myself swinging in my hammock between two 

 trees ; the moon, perhaps, shining full upon my face; the silence 

 of the night and the solitude of the forest unbroken, save by the 

 dull sound of the waters as they foamed over the rocks ; the roar 

 of the jaguar, as he roamed through the bush in search of his 

 prey ; the shrill cry of the ourang-outang, which seemed to 



