388 DOTTIN'GS ON THE ROADSIDE. [Chap. XXIV.—B. P. 
I soon found, however, by one or other standing up 
every now and then and peering about him, that they 
were looking out for a practicable entrance to the 
river, a task by no means easy, even for their practised 
eyesight; for, as I have before mentioned, there is a 
decided sameness in mangrove bushes, especially per¬ 
plexing at such a distance as we were obliged to keep 
otf the land, and with false indentations quite as nu¬ 
merous as the real mouths. 
At last the crew appeared to have made up their 
minds ; the Boss changed the course right in for the 
shore, and a few minutes’ paddling found us fairly 
inside. A ghost-like white ibis, or crane, rose slowly 
and wearily from the muddy point, taking flight si¬ 
lently up the river, and seemingly pointing out the 
road for us; while a strong smell of musk gave us 
notice that the canoe must have disturbed an alligator 
almost within length of our paddles. 
It was just a quarter to eleven on the night of the 
28th April, 1867, as we entered the river, having left 
the town of Blewfields at twenty-five minutes past ten, 
and thus we commenced the voyage. 
The men settled themselves to their work, taking 
up a steady stroke; the Boss chanted a Carib canoe- 
song, having been told that I had a strong liking for 
this mode of encouraging the crew; and I betook my¬ 
self to the shelter of the chowpa, for the dew was 
falling with a penetrating power equal to that of small 
rain, there not being a single cloud in the heavens to 
absorb the moisture. 
Having spread my blanket and arranged my pillow, 
