12 
TRAVELS IN 
which were left {landing on the bank of a fine 
creek, that, from this place, took a flow ferpen- 
tine courfe through the plantation. "We prefently 
tookfome fifh, one kind of which is very beautiful ; 
they call it the red-belly. It is as large as a man's 
hand, nearly oval and thin, being compreffed on 
each fide ; the tail is beautifully formed ; the top 
of the head and back of an olive green, befprinkled 
with ruffet fpecks ; the fides of a fea green, inclin- 
ing to azure, infenfibly blended with the olive 
above, and beneath lightens to a filvery white, or 
pearl colour, elegantly powdered with fpecks of the 
fined green, ruffet and gold ; the belly is of a bright 
fcariet red, or vermilion, darting up rays or fiery 
llreaks into the pearl on each fide ; the ultimate 
angle of the branchioftega extends backwards with 
a long fpatula, ending with a round or oval parti- 
coloured fpot, reprefenting the eye in the long 
feathers of a peacock's train, verged round with a 
thin flame-coloured membrane, and appears like a 
brilliant ruby fixed on the fide of the fifh ; the 
eyes are large, encircled with a fiery iris ; they are 
a voracious fifh, and are eafily caught with a fuit- 
able bait.J^^svtu^ y%J^ta*<l& m 
The next morning I took leave of this worthy 
family, and fet off for the fettlements on the Ala- 
t amah a, ilill purfuing the high road for Fort Bar- 
rington, till towards noon, when I turned off to 
the left, following the road to Darian, a fettlemenc 
on the river twenty miles lower down, and near 
the coaft. The fore part of this day's journey was 
pleafant, the plantations frequent, and the roads in 
tolerable good repair ; but the country being now 
lefs cultivated, the roads became bad. I purfued 
my journey almoft continually through fvvamps and 
creeks, waters of Newport and Sapello, till night, 
when 
