TRAVELS IN 
134 
afleep, but was again awakened by the fcreaming 
owl, I found the roonfter on the top of the bank, 
his head towards me not above two yards diflan t ; 
when ftarting up and feizing my fufee well loaded, 
which I always kept under my head in the night 
time, he drew back and plunged into the water. 
After this, I roufed up my fire, and kept a light 
during the remaining part of the night, being deter- 
mined not to be caught napping fo again: indeed the 
mufquitoes alone would have been abundantly fuffi- 
cient to keep any creature awake that pofTefTed 
their perfect fenfes $ but I was overcome and ftu- 
pined with inceffant watching and labour. As foon 
as I difcovered the firfl figns of day-light, 1 arofe, 
got all my effects and implements on board, and fet 
fail, proceeding upwards, hoping to give the muf- 
quitoes the flip, who were now, by the cool morning 
dews and breezes, driven to their fhelter and hiding 
places. I was miflaken however in thefe conjec- 
tures, for great numbers of them, which had con- 
cealed themfelves in mv boat, as foon as the fun 
arofe, began to revive, and fling me on my legs, 
' which obliged me to land in order to get bufhes to 
beat them out of their quarters. 
It is very pleafmg to obferve the banks of the 
river ornamented with hanging garlands, corn- 
pofed of varieties of climbing vegetables, both 
fhrubs and plants, forming perpendicular green 
walls, with projecting jambs, pilaflers, and deep 
apartments, twenty or thirty feet high, and com- 
pletely covered with Glycine frutefcens, Glyc. apios, 
Vitis lalmrfca, Vitis vulpina, Rajana, Hedera quin-» 
fiuifolia, Hedera arborea, Eupatorium fcandens, 
Bisnonia crucio-era, and various fbecies of Ccnvol- 
Viilus, particularly an amazing tail climber of this 
genus, 
