The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1877-01-26
mi ella ne O u 8.
LOST IN A JUNGLE.


In the year 1854 belonged to the Unit
ell States North Pacific Surveying and Elk
ploring Expedition. For some months W,
had worked diligently in Gaspar Straits
and along the Malaysian Islands, and a
last had brought our arduous labors to {
close. One delightful morning, while an,
chored near the island of Banca. most o
the crew went ashore to enjoy the pleasure.
of the day on land, myself among the mum
Der. There was a beautiful beach of SAND
and shell reaching down into the play FIJI
waters, and stretching along for miles
and, just beyond this, belt of greensward
like the bright lawn of artificial grounds
with mighty trees reaching far heaven,
ward. and which seemed as if standing
sentries over the thick, dark Jungle that
formed the background of the romantic
scene. The air was snft and hamy, aud
we anticipated rare pleasure in strolling
over this unknown region of beauty, ma
now and then perhaps venturing into its
mysterious depths and challenging the
peris which we knew abounded there in
the shape of wild beasts and reptiles. |
know not why, but there seems to be a GER
tain charm in concealed danger, if sur
rounded with kind of romantic mystery,
which will oftentimes lure forward the
most timid, and the day and the scene
b fore lis were well calculated 70 exercise
this il fluence upon us. We were caution
ell by the prudent not to venture far from
the beach. nor become separated from each
other, but all to be constantly within call,
that in the event of being assailed 10y either
man or beast, we might all be quickly unit
ed against common foe. This was good
advice, and had | been one who. followed
it, might have been saved a good deal OF
alarm and suffering.
In company with II shipmate, named
John Halleck, moved leisurely along up
the smooth, shiny beach, stopping now
and then to pick up some beautiful shell,
or cast stone into the water, or drink in
the beauties Of as lovely scene as | ever
gazed upon. In this way we two gradu-
ally became separated from the rest of our
companions, and, in the course of a couple
of hours, found ourselves far from our boat,
and entirely alone. This, however, gave
us no uneasiness, as each was armed with
carbine, a brace of pistols and sheath
knife, and considered ourselves equal to any
Or. buble assailant.
We came to Il running stream of limpid
water. that tumbled down over its rocky
bed from romantic elevation, beneath a
thick canopy of leaves, shrubs and vines
and the temptation to explore its banks
for short distance, beneath the cool shade,
was too great 10 be resisted
I'VE won't go far, Butler" said my CON-
panion to me, and there's no danger of
our getting lost, because the stream will al.
ways guide us back"
did not need any persuadiDg, and ST.
we plunged into the tangled thicket at
once. At first we pushed our way forward
with considerable caution, and confess ]
cast my eyes around me in the heavy gloom
with not little of timidity, and more
than once, when heard stick snap loud
ly, or the bushes rustic with the hurried
departure of some animal whose solitude
we had encroached upon, grasped my
cnrbine with a nervous hand, and held my
ground with rather questionable courage
but finding. as we advanced, that nothing
molested us, and discovering that one, at
least, of our wild beasts was a very pretty
little deer, we reganed confidence, and
felt the hold spirit Of the eager hunter take
possession of liz, and urge us forward in
quest If game.
at wouldn't he bad idea, Ned, to have
a little fresh meat" suggested my compan.
ion.
Il was just thinking of the same thing,
replied, land though our Carbines can.
not be depended on Tor any distance, we
may be lucky enough, if we keep a sharp
watch, to put i'll an effective shot at close
quarters"
We had pushed our way up the stream
for perhaps half mile, when we came to a
spot that, for wild, gloomy beauty, was
equal to anything that we had ever seen in
any pant of the world. For some time We
had heard the steady, solemn sound Of
roaring water, and were prepared to find
our progress checked by cascade but
the scene we suddenly came upon far ex-
cteded our anticipations in picturesque
sublimity. An immense wall of black
rugged rocks stretched itself upward be-
fore us, to height of from scventy-fve
to hundred feet, either side of which was
buried in dense jungle, so heavy with
foliage that the eye could not penetrate it
Over this precipce came rushing, foaming
and roaring, the little stream that we had
been tracing upward, its whitened waters
falling into kind of basin, of considerable
depth, and some fifty feet in circumference
where they whirled and bubbled and grew
calm, and then moved steadily outward
through an almost level channel, till they
reached the next gradual descent, when
they started off with u gentle ripple, to in
crease III both sound and speed on theil
laughing journey down the mountain tc
the briny deep below. Abound the basir
OF this waterfall grew gigantic trees o
enormous height, with immense branches
spreading out in every direction and inter
locking, and so thickly covered with leaves
and vines, and interviewer with long
green, shiny moss, that not a single ray o