40 
Botanical Reminiscences, 
wives to Torong-Yauwise, while we continued our journey in 
a north-westerly direction through a valley. We crossed the 
River Tupuring; its banks were bordered by a dense forest 
of Mauritia patois. 
The cool and enjoyable hours in the morning, when every 
one felt vigorous and jocund, while raillery and humor con- 
tinued, were only of a short duration. With the ascent of 
the sun the jokers became silent, the dense Indian file became 
more broken, and very soon we were at more or less distance 
from our front or hind man ; conversation ceased entirely , 
the heat in the shade had risen already to 108"" Fahr., and it 
was not yet noon. 
Towards midday we left the valley with its vigor killing 
heat, and ascended the ridge of a mountain of about 600 
feet, which was covered with innumerable fragments of 
granite. In the north-west the Zabang was towering above 
numerous mountain peaks, while in the north the long chain 
of the Pawai-iring and Pakara-wari mountains extended, ex- 
citing our interest — the heat not being so oppressive at this 
elevation. 
We continued our journey for some time along the ridge 
of the mountain, covered with immense blocks of granite and 
quartz ; our road brought us again to a valley, which ran in 
a north-westerly direction. We followed the River Tukere, 
between slender Mauritia palms and dazzling white masses of 
quartz which covered also the bed of the river, the blocks 
projected here and there above the surface of the water, in 
other places formed picturesque cascades aiid currents. At 
last we crossed the river, and stood before a precipice which 
irrestibly invited us to take a rest in its cool shade. 
The outcry A snake ! A snake and a peculiar move- 
ment of the surface of the water in the river cautioned us that 
a large snake was crossing, apparently towpuds our resting- 
place. The noise made by the Indians warned the cunning 
reptile of approaching danger, for it changed its direction, 
and though several of the Indians pursued it, made its escape. 
From the motion of the water and the size of its back, which 
several times appeared, it must have been a boa of considerable 
size. 
A few small birds here and there, skipping through the 
stunted shrubs, and some solitary birds of prey, soaring above 
us, were the only living animals seen since we left Torong- 
Yauwise — even my search for new plants was fruitless, the 
