DETOUR THROUGH THE FOREST. 45 
at the place. On the steep, wooded shore I noticed 
a beautiful little cascade which fell down a rock 
into the sea ; here, under the shade of dark-leaved 
trees, the water-casks were filled without let or 
hindrance. Tliere was a legend among the sailors, 
of a rhinoceros having charged a watering party at 
this very spot some time previously, which exciting 
incident, if ever it occurred, lent an additional 
charm to the spot in the eyes of these danger-loving 
sons of the sea. In sober truth, however, the 
ground all about was literally ploughed up by the 
tracks of these huge unwieldy pachyderms. 
Instead of landing at the watering place, how- 
ever, I preferred making a little detour through the 
forest, at no OTeat distance from the shore. Dead, 
hoary, lichen-spotted, fern-tufted trunks lay pros- 
trate in my path, and gxeat, green, sombre trees 
overshadowed the snow-white coral strand, which 
gleamed beneath their wide-spread orchid-laden 
branches. My progress at first was somewhat 
slow and difficult, on account of jungle parasites 
and thorny creepers ; but as I proceeded I looked 
