A YOUNG NATURALIST. 267 



although in some countries, where care is taken in their cultiva- 

 tion, they are said to be delicious. 



Sumichrast, who was our guide, had to open a passage for us 

 through a perfect net-work of purple-flowered creepers. I helped 

 him in his work, and when we had overcome this obstacle, we 

 found ourselves in a small plain, in the middle of which rose a 

 clump of palm trees. Gringalet ran off to the right, and soon 

 returned with his muzzle all wet. Lucien, who was in front of 

 us, first reached what was a wide, deep, and slowly-flowing 

 stream. At this sight, I'Encuerado turned three somersaults in 

 succession, and struck up a chant ; our manifestations of delight, 

 if less noisy than his, were, at all events, no less sincere. 



A gentle breeze was blowing, while the air was cool and soft ; 

 so that, forgetful of the past and sanguine for the future, we 

 built our bivouac. While at work, our eyes were attracted on 

 every side by the insects and birds, whose splendid colours 

 literally enamelled the trees in which every shade of green 

 blended harmoniously. It would be difiicult to describe the wild 

 grandeur of the scene around us. We might have fancied we 

 were in one of those marvellous gardens which Arabian story- 

 tellers delight in depicting. The roaring of some wild beast 

 reminded us that our fire was nearly out. At last, I set the 

 example of going to rest. We intended to pass three or four 

 days in this spot, as it was so favourable to our pursuits. 



"Nobody can accuse us of being too fond of rest," said my 

 friend ; " this is the 20th of April ; therefore we have now been 

 travelling uninterrupedly forty days." 



The next day at dawn, I set off with Sumichrast on an explor- 

 ing expedition, leaving Lucien still fast asleep. We returned 

 about eleven o'clock, with a dozen birds, among which we had a 

 greenish-yellow woodpecker, with a bright red tuft on its head, 

 also a Cuculus veiula, a species of cuckoo, which feeds on lizards and 

 young serpents. 



During our absence, I'Encuerado had cut down three palm 

 trees and hollowed out the lower part of the trunks, in order 

 to collect their sweet sap. He also wove a sort of paUssade of 

 creepers round several thick stakes, in which we could sleep with- 



