AN UNPLEASANT MOUTHFUL. 
7T 
7 A.M. all three vessels got mider way and ran 
down for an anchorage under Selio Island, where we 
came to, abreast of a stream of fresh water and a perfect 
forest of seasoned firewood that Stevens had discovered 
a few days previous. This island is some four miles in 
length by one in width, and differs from all others we 
have yet visited in having lakes in its centre and running 
streams dividing its beach. In consequence of the fresh 
water, various wild animals abound in its jungle, among 
which I may mention deer and wild hogs as the most 
plentiful. There are any number of snakes also; and a 
greater variety of insects than is pleasant. Of these latter 
there is a mammoth spider, formidable if only through 
his size and extreme ugliness. He spreads his heavy web 
across nine open spaces (the jungle is hardly penetrable) 
out of ten, coils himself away in its centre, and is ready 
to dart upon his prey or have his fabric destroyed by the 
passcr-by, as the case may be. Running once after a 
wounded hog, I was so unfortunate a-s to get one of them 
half-way into my mouthy and before I could get clear of 
him I had to shell out of my coat and knock him off ; 
with his long legs he had crawled over upon my back.” 
A great hunt came off on this island before we carried 
the vessels there. Baber and myself, wishing to try 
“camping out,’* took the boat and remained on it all 
night, after one of our day’s work. The men also were 
ill high glee at the idea of shooting the deer before they 
were awake: it was a regular spree. We carried with 
us a camp-kettle, a piece of salt pork, bread, coffee, &c., 
and, upon arriving at the beach, got our tent pitched and 
a large fire kindled just as night came on. The tent we 
