CHAPTER XII. 



A EELATION OF GEINGALET— OUE FOUE-FOOTBD GUIDE— A EEVIEW OF 

 CUE PARTY — THE ALLIGATOE-TOETOISE — THE PHEASANTS — THE 

 MAGNOLIA— THE NUTMEG-TEEB— THE BLUE PLANT — THE OATEE- 

 PILLAE. 



' S the sun was setting, our wisest course was to go back to 

 our bivouac of the evening before, and to postpone until 

 the next day the discovery of the passage we had sought 

 in vain. Upon the whole, the sight of the cataract had amply 

 repaid us for our useless walk. 



Our little party, therefore, once more plunged into the forest, 

 rather at random, though taking care not to go too far from the 

 stream. Two or three times we seemed to have reached the spot 

 where we left the bank ; but we soon got into the most inextric- 

 able thickets. As the time wore on, I began to think we had 

 passed the place ; and, as is often the case in similar circum- 



