I 
AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 
and at all the points where the stream met us, we 
carried out a hawser in the small boat, and lashed it 
to the branches of the trees which overhung the 
river. By means of this perpetual warping, we 
worked our slow and tedious way up to Sacopan, 
and thence to the fort at Barrancas, where the 
Spanish officers provided us with a craft of their own. 
It was a long boat, schooner-rigged, and admirably 
adapted to the service for which it was intended. 
During the whole of the passage up the river, there 
was a grand feast for the eyes and ears of an or- 
nithologist. In the swampy parts of the wooded 
islands, which abound in this mighty river, we saw 
water fowl innumerable ; and when we had reached 
the higher grounds, it was quite charming to observe 
the immense quantities of parrots and scarlet aras 
which passed over our heads. The loud, harsh 
screams of the bird called the horned-screamer, 
were heard far and near; and I could frequently 
get a sight of this extraordinary bird, as we passed 
along ; but I never managed to bring one down with 
the gun, on account of the difficulty of approaching 
it. John Edmonstone, who is now in Edinburgh^ 
will remember well this expedition. 
Whilst we were wending our way up the river, an 
accident happened of a somewhat singular nature. 
There was a large labarri snake coiled up in a bush, 
which was close to us. I fired at it, and wounded 
it so severely that it could not escape. Being wish- 
ful to dissect it, I reached over into the bush, with 
the intention to seize it by the throat, and convey it 
aboard. The Spaniard at the tiller^ on seeing this^ 
