Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1883-12-07
Miscellaneoms.
IN A SOUTH AMERICAN FOREST.

am at Byadani, on the Demerara.
-Four Akawoioise Indians and hunter
Ga half-blood) have left our punt moored
at the river bank. My hammock is slung
in the Indian bcnab, grass shelter
supported by saplings II is but one of
several that compose the village; yet
from the stream they are almost invisi-
BILE. And what is the stream and the
landscape? What is seen from the bank
is but a dark, quiet ponk-ike cxpanse
of water completely oyershadowed by
giant trees, which tower two or three
hundred feet into the air, only to see
their own leaves mirrorcd in the waters
below The river winds 80 that here
you have only this tiny almost circular
lake, hemmed in on all sides by foliage
This is what it seems; but il is really
forty or Fifty feet deep and hurryiug on
ward to the distant sea IL il twilight.
aud round tho trees Oh the bank the
humming birds flock so very small that
they appear only like large flies, and so
innocent that they return again and
again 10 the same branches and the
same leaves after showers Of dust.shot
and the contents of blowpipes have been
aimed at them At this time clouds of
Hy-catchers swoop backward and forward
over the tops OF the benabs. with the
fight of swallows. Their small fat
bcaks are scarcely to be discovered
amid the thick brown plumage, and
they are not easily hit As darkness
sets rapidly in the forest becomes alive
with cries loud and low which are be-
wildering to all but the Indian aud 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 tropc daw0, when the
breeze blows The fire is warning to
snakes, jaguars, and even vampire-bats
The human inhabitants of the bush 20
early to bed, and 80 do we. Yet il is
possible to be Sybarite even here
and wisely 80 too; and then fever may
be laughed at; for Of a truth that equa.
torial terror rarely lays hold on any but
those who 10 matters Of hygiene are per-
sistently careless. First, we stand up
ia front Of our hammocks, and, having
thoroughly and conscientiously enveloped
ourselves in a blanket, venture 10. The
hunter then encases our feet in rug as
vol. Next he goes to the spirit chest
and pours by tho dim freight wine
glassful Of brandy into a pint mug. Int
this he squeezcs the contents Of ripe
lime, pluckcd that afternoon from tree
that oyerbuDg the serried ranks Of trum-
pet-liles that grace, mile after mile, the
reaches Of the Demcrara River water
is boiling 10 the kettle by tho fire, and
this he ADDS judiciously 10 the mixture
he is preparing. lie throws in u spoon
full Of vacuumpan, and then we Crate.
fully raise an expectant bead from the
hamomck and drink. Somnus woos
no man against his will who has been
stirring since the earl dawn. The
blanket and the "night-cap" conduce 10
plentiful perspiration-wbich may be
unpleasant, but has the advantage Of
being sure fcbrifUge
In the morning, while the dusk Of
dawn is over the waters and the woods.
the hunter brings coffee and breakfast.
AS soon ~ the sun has risen we are in
our punt padding up stream. The river
is yet dark with shadow, for il will be
an hour or two before Apollo shows bis
head over the submits Of the grecnhcart
aud wsllaba trees. The air is delicious
ly cool as We speed over the CLASSY sur
face, getting stray shots at the kiugRsb-
ers who haunt at this time the branches
on the banks, on the lookout for prey
Suddenly the cry of the fre-brd and Of
the Ratings IL heard. The boat is then
brought to the shore, and, as wsll as we
are able, we struggle into the forest
through ferns aud ereepers and trailing