THE LELIA. 
IT 
the unknown, bearing on their flood-water 
scraps torn from distant banks, branches of 
strange and aromatic trees, bundles of water 
plants, blue flowered and myriad-leaved, the 
glowing shards of unknown fruits and nuts— 
all this torn treasure-trove, brought on the dark 
water, lured these early adventurers with their 
promise of rich reward to the bold. On floating 
islands of reeds came sometimes huge pythons, 
or even a fierce tigre, swept down on some such 
frail raft; and these served to keep alive the 
stories of marvellous beasts and birds to be 
found in the pathless forests. 
And the siren song of the Unknown did not 
fall on deaf ears. Small bands of adventurers 
set forth, dazzled with dreams of gold and 
of silver, and ever their quarry ran before 
them. Some returned to speak of the strange 
things they had seen, to tell of the fabled golden 
cities of which the Indians spoke. Some never 
returned. And men did not know whether 
these last had died, miserably, in the forests : 
or whether, perhaps, they had stumbled by 
chance on some secret pathway to Eldorado 
itself; and, like the folk of ancient legends, had 
forgotten their long toil and wandering, the 
voices of their wives and children, the call of 
comrades, in the enchanted atmosphere of some 
Golden Land. 
c 
