CHAPTER XII. 



A RELATION OF GRINGALET. OUR FOUR-FOOTED GUIDE. 



A REVIEW OF OUR PARTY. THE ALLIGATOR-TORTOISE. 



THE PHEASANTS. THE MAGNOLIA. THE NUTMEG-TREE. 



THE BLUE-PLANT. THE CATERPILLAR. 



A S the sun was setting, our wisest course was to go back 



-f- to our bivouac of the evening before, and to postpone 

 until the next day the discovery of the passage we had 

 sought in vain. Upon the whole, the sight of the cataract 

 had amply repaid us for our useless walk. 



Our little party, therefore, once more plunged into the 

 forest, rather at random, though taking care not to go too 

 far from the stream. Two or three times we seemed to 

 have reached the spot where we left the bank ; but we soon 



