SOUTH SHORE OF THE MAINLAND in 



Cereus grow profusely in damp or even muddy 

 situations where an unusually high tide may cover 

 their roots. In fact it seems that these desert- 

 loving plants are attempting to become aquatics. 

 Along our strange course where the ground be- 

 comes too swampy they grow as epiphjrtes, attach- 

 ing their roots well up on the trunks of living or 

 dead trees. 



Douthett's propeller had only one blade and it 

 revolved at a terrific rate. How it survived the 

 trip we could not understand, for it struck the 

 rocky bottom every revolution for long distances, 

 and we navigated through a tangle of sunken logs, 

 branches, and chopped-off mangrove roots. As 

 we proceeded the channel became narrower and 

 more clogged and often we were obliged to get out 

 and lift the boats over sunken timber, or depress 

 the bows to get them under a log, then all get in the 

 stern and shove. For considerable distances we 

 were compelled to lie in the bottom of the boats to 

 avoid the low branches and air roots which hung 

 about everywhere. At one in the afternoon we 

 entered Cuthbert Lake, a nearly circular body of 

 brackish water a mile across. We found patches 

 of the palm we sought and at once set to work 



