The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-12-29
In a South American Forest.

l am at Byadini on the Demerara
our punt moored ut the river bank.
My hammock is slung in the Indian
benab, grass shelter supported by
saplings. What Is the stream and
the landscape? What is seen from
the bank is but a dark, quiet, pond
like expanse of water completely
overshadowed by giant trees. which
tower 200 or 800 feet into the air,
only to see their own leaves mir
rOred in the waters below. The
river winds 50 that here you have
only this tiny. almost circular lake
hemmed in on all sides
by foliage. This is what is
seems; but it is really forty or fifty
feet deep, and hprrying onward to
the distant sea. 1t is twilight. at
this time clouds of fiy-catchers
swOop backward and forward over
the tops of the benabs, with the
fight of swallows. Their small fiat
beaks are scarcely to be discovered
amid the thick brown plumage, and
they are not easily hit. AS dark
ness sets rapidly in, the forest be-
comes alive with cries loud and low
which are bewildering to all but
the Indian, the buSh-rOver. Outside
the benab all is darkness, unless it
be an evening when "Diana sheds
her silvery light" but within fires
are lit, not for warmth only, though
heat is not unwelcome just before
the tTopic dawn, when the land
breeze blows. The human inhabi-
tants of the bush go early to bed, and
so do we. Yet it is possible to be a
Sybarite even here-and wisely so,
too; and then fever may be laughed
at; for of truth that equatorial
terror rarely lays hold on any but
those who in matters of hygiene
are persistently careless. First, we
stand up in front of our hammOcks,
and having thoroughly and con-
scientiouslY enveloped ourselves in
a blanket, venture in. The hunter
then encases our feet in a rug as |
well. Next he goes to the spirit |
chest, and pours by the dim fire.
light a wineglassful of brandy into
a pint mug. Into this he squeeZes
the contents of ripe lime, plucked
that afternoon from a tree that over
hung the serried ranks of trumpet
lilies that grace, mile after mile, the |
reaches OF the Demarars. River |
water is boiling in the kettle by fire, |
and this he adds judiciously to the
mixture he is preparing. He thro VS. |
IN spoonful of vacuum-pan, and |
then we gratefully raise an expect.
ant head from the hammock and |
drink. SOmnus WOOS no man against |
his will who has been stirring since
the early dawn. The blanket a nd the
night cap conduce to plentiful |
perspiratiOn-which may be un-
pleasant, but has the advantage of |
being a sure febrifuge.
In the morning. while the dusk
Of dawn is over the waters and the
woods, the hunter brings coffee and
breakfast. AS soon as the sun has
risen We are in our punt padding
up stream. Tue river is yet dark
with shadow; for it will be an hour
Or two before Apollo shows his head
over the SUBMITS of the greenheart
and Wailaba trees. The air is delic-
iously cool as we sweep over the
CLASSY surface, getting stray shots
at the king fishers who haunt at
this time the branches on the banks,
On the lookout for prey. Suddenly
5he cry of the fire bird and of the
zatinga is heard. The boat is
brought to the shore, and,
IS well as we are able, we
struggle into the forest through
ferns and creepers and trailing
branches. The light is ever dim and
'Ombre here. 1t is not asy for the
eye to distinguish
living objects so far above, and the
brightest plumage takes color from
,he eternal, all pervading green.
But the Indians, from long habit,
lear and see everything, and bring
with mimic call the fire. bird and
he pompador within reach of your
,Owling-piece. The spoils arel
back to the boat, and again
ne paddle along, stopping here for
swim, and there to repienish our
stock Of lines, or to pursue a mon
Key who has betrayed his presence
~ exceeding curiosity. The rivers
If the Guianas are delightful 1t is
strange that they should be within
)ut few days Of England, and yet
De SO little knOwn.-St. James Ga
'ette.