The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1888-04-12
[Macmillan's Magazine,1
A Night in the Jungle

"Theres nothing else for it now
we must leave the dingeys behind ant
90 on in the canoes" Thus Easton
my companion, as he once more sur
veyed the rapids we had failed for tn,
fifth time to pass in the heavy boats
| and signed to the steersman of ou
craft to run it ashore.
We were makingI our way to spo
on the banks of the lovely Salweer
River, whittier news of tiger had at
tracted u.s. The place was difficult tc
reach at all times, utterly inaccessible
during the rains and for two months
after their cessation, for the great
rainfall in Lower Burma swells the
rivers to a height that is almost in
credible So the wild jungles Of the
, Tennasseram Yomas are seldom dis
turbed by any but an occasional Kar-
en- hunter, who might fire shot from
his fint-lock perhaps once in ten days.
Now, in December, the swollen riv-
er had fallen nearly to its normal lev
ell, and we had arrived within ten
miles of our destination, after much
hard pulling and towing (when the
rocky banks would allow of the latter
with frequent reminders of the dan
gers of our course from the hidden
rocks below the surface The place
we had stopped at was wide basin
strewn with gigantic rugged powders,
round which the waters boiled and
seethed as if rejoicing in their release
from the gloomy rock-bound gorge
above the rapid which was now to be
the next stage of our journey. Clear
ly, there was nothing for it but to
trust ourselves and our belongings to
the Burmese canoes "a prospect
| l confess | hardly relished
after eying the grand but turbulent
stretch of water and the crank narrow
craft in which we were to navigate it,
Lets breakfast first said. ut
must be nearly ten o'clock now, and
it will take some time to get the
things transferred"
Easton agreed, and while we ate
our meal the boatmen redistributed
the baggage contained in the two dim
geys among three canoes, in which
some care was necessary to stow it
safely.
In half an hour we were again un-
der way. Being the slighter man of
the two, the smallest canoe fell to my
lot; so seating myself in the bottom
(which every five minutes was washed
throughout by the water we shipped
| possessed myself of paddle, and
prepared to give as much assistance as
could be reasonably expected of a
man who had embarked with the Con-
viction that his least movement would
inevitably cause an upset.
Four sturdy Burnaans manned the
canoe, which further contained my
kit, my guns in their waterproof cases,
and share of our stores. There was
also decoy-cock, tied by the leg to
one of the narrow seats, whose droop-
ing tail and generally detected look
seemed to indicate that he was enjoy
ing the voyage even less than | was.
Easton followed in larger canoe,
which apparently leaked more than
conducive to comfort, for | noticed
that he knelt in the bottom and was
much occupied with capacious tin
bailer he held in both hands. The
third carried our servants, two large
goats intended as bait for the tiger,
and the tent. The last-naned luxury
Easton insisted on taking, in spite OF
the risk entailed in conveying SO bull
ky an article in such boat. It proved
valuable, however, for the nights were
very misty and unusually cold for
Burma.
I begin to feel more at ease as we
glide up backwater, past the foam
at the foot Of the rapid which rushes
smoothly down in a wide unbroken
sheet for sixty or seventy yards after
leaving the gorge. We are close to it
now, and % Biyike, the old steers
man, seated on the upward-curving
stern with one muscular leg curled
round below it, takes a frmer grasp
of his long paddle, and with two
plunging downward strokes, which
the crew instantly respond to, drives
the canoe into the middle of the
rapid.
"Heey, loolah! Hooh youkkya!
Hla,o! Hlaw! Hlaw! Heey! (Hi,
men! Hi, lads! Paddle! Paddle!
Paddle! HiD' he shouts in tones Of
encouragement. The men chorus a
deep-chested Heey! and l skin my
knuckles against the bulwarks in a
wild effort to help with my paddle.
The men lean forward and dig with
desperate energy into the roaring flood
that Kisses past the sides of the canoe
and rises in a fountain of spray at her
bow. No more shouting now; we are
we'll on our way up the rapid and
dare not relax our efforts for a mo-
ment. The naked backs and arms be-
fore me show every sinew taxed to the
utmost; with heads down and faces
set, the men make their plunging
strokes in perfect time and with ex-
traordinary rapidity. We are gaining
r