The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1884-09-27
British tijuana Forests.

In the quiet reaches Of the rive. b.
tween the cataraets the scenery was
extremely beautiful, but the thickness
Of the fore 1t made it impossible. except
when very near the shore, to distin-
giish thu picturesque kinds of geta-
ton peculiar to the tropics from the
vast wall of green which hedged us in.
Il was only when taking OUR midday
rest. OF 1t our camps for the night, that ]
was able to study the 'ora around me and
note the beauty and profuseness OF its
forms. Orc ids were abundant enough.
and. although / saw no species Of
great rarity. yet several kinds which
were In flower at the time were very
lovely. Bromelias and tillandsias grew
in thousands, and the immense leaves
OF the pothos were seen everywhere. In
one or two places I noticed the rare and
beautiful climbing palm (desmoncus).
and in the open parts OF the forest were
great numbers of calad ums, the vari.
colored leaves of which are so familiar
in our hothouses. aaz ---ssss1ass.
Animal life was in noway prominent,
although there could be no doubt that
the forest was thickly peopled, for at
night as we sat around the campfire or
lay In our hammocks many were the
weird sounds that came from the thick
Jungle near by. The nightly concert
was usu illy started by the bo'sun, a
large cicada, who sat in the tree tops
and blew tremulous whistle which
could be heard to great distance. He
was followed by the hylas, or tree
toads, who gave vent to every conceiv-
able sound. from that of the saving of
wood to the clanking of many chains.
and were accompanied in their vocal
efforts by their relations in the marshes,
who kept up deep and not unmusical
bass. All night long the goatsuckers
moaning. and once in awhile strange.
mournful wall came from the forest,
causing us to start and SILVER as wo
heard it. II was the note Of the
bird called lost soul. Once or twice
the loud, deep roar of the iaguar was
heard. and it never failed to cause .
panic among the indians, who invaria-
bly, moved their hammock poles nearer
the water or raised the hammocks high
er in the trees to be out. of the tigers
reach should he pass our way. Out Of
all the appalling, blood-curdling sounds
that were heard in these tropical woods
none could equal the noise that came
from the throat of the relocated.
black-faced, bowling monkey (mycctes
seniculus>, the "baboon' of the colony.
Occasionally some of these balloons IA
vored us with lit lie rehearsal during
the night, but it was towards morning
that the concert itself began, and then,
until became accustomed to it. there
was no more sleep for me. Words are
inadequate to describe the sound which
these animals produce. 1t is something
between a howl and roar. with an oc-
casional grunt thrown in, the whole be-
ing delivered with about the intensity
of a'iog-wh stle, and the concert being
participated in by balloons for miles
around. When all these fellows are at
tending strictly to business the result in
the way Of noise may be imagined.
Tracks of the tapir were several times
seen in marshy places near the river
bank, and sometimes got q shot at
flocks of the little, red sacNawinki mon
keys, which were very common on this
river. Iguanas called "Waimucka' by
the Indians, frequently tumbled from
the branches into the stream when we
padded near the shore, and on two
occasions some of our men brought in
peccaries, or bush-hogs, which they
had She with their arrows near our
camp, and which proved q most well
come addition TO our larder, notwith-
standing their rankness; but visible
game was scarce, and a man would
have had poor living who depended
on his gun for support. --Cor. Chicago
Jyibalne