52 
GUATEMALA. 
clear and cool, and everything was enticing us to loiter; 
but the day was closing, and comida awaiting us on the 
“ Progreso.” 
The moon that night was full; and with no mosquitoes 
in the air, we hardly cared to creep under our toldo. The 
light filtered through the palm-leaves and sparkled on the 
black river as it glided around the bend. We could see 
but a few rods either up or down stream, and we almost 
wondered how we came there, and should we ever get 
away. Far in the distance the howls of the monkeys and 
the cries of the night-birds broke the stillness around us; 
but we slept unconscious of the shower that poured on our 
toldo before morning. 
A very bright, warm morning in the middle of October 
is not unpleasant in the temperate zone ; but here it seemed 
almost too warm to be seasonable, although the thermome¬ 
ter persisted in indicating 83°. Five of us were in our 
little cayuco at early dawn on our way down stream. 
The cayuco was not especially crank, but it was loaded to 
the water’s edge with five solid men; and as my hands 
grasped the gunwales, my fingers dipped in water on both 
sides. It was impossible for me to restrain the attempt 
to balance, which of course kept the cayuco in a constant 
quiver, alike unpleasant to myself and my companions. 
Add to this the consciousness that alligators were ready 
for us if we did upset, and it will be supposed that the 
voyage was not altogether agreeable. 
We landed at last, and had a hard scramble up the steep, 
muddy bank, as many of the palms were armed with spines 
like needles (.Acrocomia sp.) 9 and there was little else to 
catch by. I was on the watch for snakes, and had my ma¬ 
chete in my hand; but the first living denizen of the forest 
