6 OUR SEARCH FOR A WILDERNESS. 



sky overhead and the muddy depths beneath. The tide had 

 reached its highest, and, hke the Hving creatures of the 

 jungle, rested in the midday heat. The captain gave a gruff 

 order in Spanish, and the anchor splashed into the water, 

 dragging the chain after with a sudden roar and jangle which 

 echoed from shore to shore — jarring the silence as would a 

 shriek of pain in a cathedral. 



A chatter came from the mangroves near at hand, and 

 high up among the dense foliage we saw the hrst life of the 

 continent — a wistful little human face gazing out at us, 

 a capuchin monkey stri\ing with wrinkled brows to make 

 out what we were. At his call two others came and looked; 

 then, as our sail came down with a rattle of halyards, the 

 trio fled through the branches with all the speed which four 

 hands and a tail could lend. 



We spent the afternoon in getting our floating home ready 

 for use. No more waves would be encountered, so every- 

 thing was unlashed. Stereo-glasses, camera-i)lates, and am- 

 munition were placed ready to hand; the galley stove w^as 

 moved far forward, and a mosquito-proof tent of netting was 

 erected under the tarpaulin in tlie stern. 



The sun had sunk low in the west wlien we saw a long, 

 narrow dug-out canoe coming downstream. An Indian 

 woman and her baby were crouched in the bow, while in the 

 stem a naked Indian paddled swiftly and silentl)-. His skin 

 shone like coppery bronze in the sunlight, his long black hair 

 was bound back from his face by a thong of hide. In front 

 of him rested a bow and arrows and a long hsh-spear. Silently 

 he approached and in silence he passed — unheeding our 

 salutations. 



One more beauty of this wild wonderland was vouchsafed 

 us before night fell. We had been disappointed in the birds. 

 Where were the myriads of water-fowl of which we had 

 heard ? We had seen nothing — not a single feather. But 



