Timbered Oases on the Savannahs. 
39 
soms and pods: it was particularly due to their red velvety carpel that 
the latter lent the tree an extremely interesting appearance. A small 
corial that was found here, carried us across the Takutu, to where, oppo- 
site the (,'ursoi-ari, a tiny river ended its course, when we took a more 
southerly direction towards Mount Auuru-paru, which, tapering out into 
a si)ur, rose some distance ahead. On the very savannah that we crossed, 
Hats of scattered CuratcUa and Buicdicltia continually alternated with 
thickly-timbered oases. Were one to iipproach such an oasis, that mostly 
has a circumference of from 1 to 6, often more, miles, the altered charac- 
ter of tlie vegetation; would indicate its proximity, without it even 
being yet seen. The isolated GuratelJa and Bowdichia trees become 
more numerous, while liere and there a shrnb of Riihiaceae, Com positac, 
or Mclasfoviacfac miitgles itself in amongst them, but still one cannot 
say whether it is tli:.-' savannah or forest vegetation that predominates: 
the doul)t is conijiletely dispelled, however, as soon as the Solanum'; 
Apciha , Helicteres, Mimosa, Bavhinhi , Prlfof/i/ne, Melastoma , ^auvagesia , 
and Wedelia bordered around with A (iure and Cactus, meet one's gaze, 
and tlie cooling atmosphere iutinmtes to the heated skin and dried-up 
tongne, the ]U'esence of tlie densely leaved Myrtaceae, Lect/thideae, 
La.Kfinrae, Ler/Kivinosae, and Eu phorhiareae. If the flat that such an 
oasis occupies is swampy, then it is the palm family and Heliconia that 
are in tlie ascendant. The soil of tliese onses natnrally varies, like its 
vegetation. conii>letely from that of the savannah, and generally consists 
of a rich marshy liottnm, often also of a hard clay mixed with sand and 
decayed vegetable matter. Tn the course of tlie f(U'enoon we crossed th<» 
small river Totowau that flows here into the Takntu from the westward. 
99. We made haste to reach the thickly timbered oasis before a dull 
black thunderstorm that >\as gathering shonld l)urst, but instead of 
seeing our wishes fulfilled, the sluice-gates of Heaven already commenced 
to open. The oasis consisted almost only of Palms, Zingiheraceae, 
Cfinnaceae and Miisace'ae, the leaves of which furnished the grandest 
covering for our baggage that tlie Indians had as quickly as possible 
collected into heaps. Two or three leaves of the Ravenala fjuianensift 
furnished us with most excellent uml;rellas, upon which the rain, 
pouring down in torrents, made fairly noisy music. The tem]iest raged 
for several hours, and however trying the circumstances naturally were, 
they nevertheless had mjany a comlic side in connection with the silent 
naked groups who, cuddling np together, their teeth chattering with 
cold and holding huge leaves aloft, were sVinatted aronnd. When the 
rain finally ceased we continued onr journey across the oasis in spite of 
being wetted through and through, and were not a little sui'prised on 
emerging from it, to find one of the most pleasant hillydandscapes 
stretching away ahead, but the ]deasure was sadly marred by a bad attack 
of fever. From now on the wooded tracts merged more and more 
towards one another, while the savannah flats diminished. Exhausted, 
we reached by afternoon a forest, the tropical fulness of wliich so sur- 
prised me, that though I was wearied witli the fever, and toi'tnred with 
the sandals it nevertheless drew my attention from off all my bitterly 
experienced sufferings. Huge-leaved palms, together with giant 
