WE STRIKE INLAND 
waterfall, far away up on the precipices of the river 
Aculama, which we were to know better during our 
stay in New Guinea. The waterfall was on one of 
the tributaries of a little river, which we could see far 
below us rushing over its rocky bed in small cataracts 
that alternated with still blue pools. The trees in 
the ravine were loaded with lycopodiums and ferns, 
and, in their season, a few rhododendrons. The cluster 
of flowers was like a golden ball the size of a man’s 
head. On a later journey I secured the root, but it 
died before I could get it down to the coast for ship- 
ment. ‘These rhododendrons did not grow alone, but 
attached themselves to tree trunks. 
Another curiosity of the Aculama was a large 
fresh-water prawn, of which I got wind from the 
natives talk. As soon as I heard it mentioned, I 
told my boys that if they could bring me a specimen 
I would pay well for it, and also for examples of 
the fish of the Aculama. They accordingly went in 
quest of the crustacean, and before long they brought 
me a specimen. -The prawn haunts the eddies under 
the large boulders, around which the natives draw 
their net so as to lie close to the shape of the stone. 
They then pull it out of the water gradually, and 
occasionally find that they have caught one or two 
specimens. ‘The variety is about 5 inches long, of 
a transparent brown when caught, very much like 
our British prawns, and when cooked of a rich red. 
The pincers and legs are longer than those of the 
marine species. ‘They make delightful morsels, and 
are a welcome addition to the explorer’s larder, which 
provides changes none too many. 
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