FIRST JOURNEY. 



11 



poison, the counacouchi glides undaunted on, sole 

 monarch of these forests ; he is commonly known by 

 the name of the bush-master. Eoth man and beast fly 

 before him, and allow him to pursue an undisputed path. 

 He sometimes grows to the length of fourteen feet. 



A few small caimen, from two to twelve feet long, may 

 be observed now and then in passing up and down the 

 river ; they just keep their heads above the water, and a 

 stranger would not know them from a rotten stump. 



Lizards of the finest green, brown, and copper colour, 

 from two inches to two feet and a half long, 



Lizards. _ n n ^^ 



are ever and anon rustling among the lallen 

 leaves, and crossing the path before you ; whilst the 

 chameleon is busily employed in chasing insects round 

 the trunks of the neighbouring trees. 



The fish are of many different sorts, and well-tasted, 

 but not, generally speaking, very plentiful. 

 It is probable that their numbers are con- 

 siderably thinned by the otters, which are much larger 

 than those of Europe. In going through the overflowed 

 savannas, which have all a communication with the 

 river, you may often see a dozen or two of them sporting 

 amongst the sedges before you. 



This warm and humid climate seems particularly 



^ ^ adapted to the producing of insects ; it gives 

 birth to myriads, beautiful past description 

 in their variety of tints, astonishing in their form and 

 size, and many of them noxious in their qualities. 



He whose eye can distinguish the various beauties of 

 uncultivated nature, and whose ear is not shut to the 

 wild sounds in the woods, will be delighted in passing 

 up the river Demerara. Every now and then the 

 maam or tinamou sends forth one long and plaintive 



