240 OUR SEARCH FOR A WILDERNESS. 



districts, they keep account of shipments and all passing 

 boats and passengers, and stand ready to run clown, or rather 

 paddle down, fugitives from justice. At each post are little 

 rooms reserved for travellers, and here any strangers with 

 proper credentials are at liljerty to swing their hammocks and 

 make themselves at home. The sergeant had just trapped 

 a half dozen pretty blue and yellow Violet Euphonia Tan- 

 agers "" in a mango tree near the station. The usual colony 

 of Yellow-backed Cassiques '"' was deserted at the time of 

 our visit, but had been occupied twice during the last year. 

 Lying half in the water in front of the house was an anaconda 

 fifteen feet long which had just been shot. We purchased 

 thirty bananas for fourpence, and with fried bananas and 

 bacon, the unfailing and never cloying erbswurst, jam, 

 educator crackers and lime scjuash, we had a meal fit for the 

 gods. 



At this point wc left the Pomeroon and turned up the 

 Harlipiaka for two hours, then into the last real river of our 

 trip, the Tapakuma. This river was only about seventy-five 

 feet wide and with vegetation neither grand nor very luxuri- 

 ant, principally eta palms and mucka-mucka. Wild cocoa 

 and clavillina blossoms were everywhere and numerous Lesser 

 Kiskadees '"'^ were building. Many small, deserted estates 

 appeared as the river grew narrower, and morpho butter- 

 flies and Silver-beak Tanagers "" haunted the half-overgrown 

 ruins. Catching sight of a snake on an overhanging branch, 

 we persuaded Marciano to steer close to it, but as we reached 

 out to seize it, our Indian's fears overcame him and he swung 

 out quickly, the serpent making its escape into the water. 

 It was a harmless species about five feet long, and yellow- 

 brown in color. With the exception of the dead anaconda, 

 it was the only snake we had seen on our trip, ^^^^en we 

 commented on this, Marciano relieved his feelings in two 

 words, "Me glad!" 



