New-York tribune., 1890-06-29

| Where the forest is compact as described above
we may not do more than cover the ground ciose!S }
| with thick crop of phryna, and ainona, aiio
| dwarf bush: but il the lightning. as frequently
| happens has severed the crown Of proud tree
and e, in the sunlight or split giant down 10
| its roots, or scorched il dead or a tornado mas
| been uprooting a few trees then the race Tor All
and light has caused multitude OF bapy IT, IT,
upon and strangling one another, untll inc Whoie
| IS one imperviOus bush.
| But the average forest is a mixture OF these
scenes. There will probably be groups Of nifty
| trees standing like columns Of a cathedral. gray
| and solemn in the twilight and in the midst
| there will be a naked and gaunt patriarch
! blcachcd white, and around it will have grown
| young community. each young tree clambenn2
upward to become heir TO the area Of light ana
sunshine once occupied by the sire. The law OF
| primoqeniture rrigns here also.
| There is also death from wounds sickness, de-
| cay, hereditary disease and old age, and various
accidents thinning the forest, removing the un-
| tit, the weakly, the unadaptabe. as among hu-
manity. Let MS suppose tall cher among the
| giants, like an insoleni son Of Anak By head
| he lifts himself above his fcllows-the monarch OF
all he surveys; but his pride attracts the hight
ning and he becomes shivcred to the roots he
| topples. declines. and wounds half dozen other
| trees i'll his fall. This is why we see SO many
humorous cXcrcsccnces, great goitrous swellinss,
| and deformed trunks: The parasites again nave
| frequently been outlvcd by the trees they had
half stranglcd, and the deep marks OF thir force
full pressure may be traced up 10 the forks some
have sic<ened by intense rivalry Of other kinds.
and have pcrislcd at All immature age some have
grown with n deep crook in their stems, by q
PROSTATE log which had fallen and pressed them
obliquey. Some have been injured by branches,
fallen during a storm. and dwarfed untlinely
Some have been gnawcd by rodents. or have
been sprancd by elephants leaning on them to
rub their prurient hides. and ants of all kinds
have done infinite mischief Some have been
pecked al by birds until we see ulcerous sores eX
uding great olohules of gum. and frequently tall
and short nomads have tried their axes. spears
and knives on the trees, and hence that
To complete the mental picture of this ruthless
forest the ground should be strewn tllickly with
branches, every few yards there should be a
PROSTATE giant, rceking compost Of rotten fibres
and departed generations of insects, and colonies oi
ants half Veiled with masses of vines and
shrouded by the LEAKAGE of multitude of baby
saplings, lengthy briars and calamus in many
fathom lengths, and every mile or so there should
he muddy streams sta.nant creeks ana shallow
pools. green with duckweed, leaves Of lotus and
lilies, and greasy green scum composed OF mill
ions of finite growths. Then people this vast
region of woods with numbcrless fragments Of
tribes, who are az war with each other and who
live apart from ten to fifty miles in the midst of a
PROSTATE forest. among whose ruins they have
planted the plantain, banana, maniOc, beans,
tobacco. coocassia. gourds. melons, ETC. and who,
in order t. make their villages inaccessible. have
rcsorted 10 every means of defence suggested TO
wild by the nature of their lives. They
have planted skcwcrs along their paths. and cum
ningly hidden them under an apparently stray
leaf, on The lee side Of log. by striding over
which the naked foot Is pierced. and the intruder
is either killed from the poison sneared on the
tops OF the skewers. or lampd for months They
have piles up branches. and have formed abattis
Of great trees and they lie in wait behind with
sheaves of poisoned arrows. wooden spears hard
encd in fire. and smcared with poison.
These prineva woods inspired a sense of awe
which rushed upon the soul and crowded out
thoughts Of the prOtracted miseries of the march.
The human voice sounded with rolling echoes. as
eere straneencss of the tropical wilderness, the
absence of sunshine. and m6rvelled al the queer
feeling of loneliness while nquiringly looking
around 10 be assured that this loneliness was no
delusion. The wrnkled old patriarchs seemed to
address the traveller with the gravity and serious
ness of a Methuselah and 10 demand diSdainfully
his business in that assembly Of stately forest
kings. When the tempest ragged this uncanny
feeling Of grewsome awe passed into emotions
of terror, this fine passage betokens
But what thoughts were kindlcd we peepcd
out from an opening III the woods and looked
acrcss the darKening river which reflected the
advancing tempest, and caught view OF the
mighty amy OF trccs-their heights as various as
their kind. ali reid in the CLEANING. awaiting in
stern array the war with the storm. lhe com
ing wind has concentrated It's terrors Tor destruc-
tOn the fOrked lightning Is seen dating lis
spears OF white flame across the front OF infinite
hosts of clouds, Ont Of their depth issues the
thunderbot. and the march OF the wind is heard
coming to the onset. Suddenly the trees, which
have stood still-as in a painted c1nvas-awalt-
ing the shock with secure tranquility, are seen
to bow their tops III unison. followed Dy uni
veTsal swaying aud stainng. az though a "lli
panic had seized them They reel tins way an"
that but they restrained from Night By sturdy
stems and fixed roots. and the strong bntircsses
which maintain them upright. Pressed back
ward 10 perilous length. they recover from the
,irst blow, and dart their heads IN furious waves
forward, and the glory Of thc war Gttween me
forest and the storm Is at ITS hclght. Legion
after legion of clouds ride over the windNoSsed
crcsts: there is crashing and roaring. loud
soughing and nfodnns. shril screaming Of squalls
and grOanng of countless woods There are
mghty sweeps from the great tIee-kiDgs. as though
hi ahty strokes were being dealt there Is world
wide rustinG of foliage, as though Ill ticcful al-
proral OF the vast strength Of their siies there
are flashes of pale green light as the lesser bat
talions are reused up to the fight by the example
of their brave ancienls. Our own sflIhS are
aroused by tie grand nfiict-the Ber>efker rage
is contagious In our souls applaud the rush
and lcvellirg force OF the wind, and for second
are ready - hail the victor: but the ma9nillccn'
array of the forest champions, with streaming
locks. the lrmncss with which the vast army
Of trees rise in unison with their leaders The
rapturous CULVER Of the bush below. inspire
belief that they will win if they but pcrseVeTe
Yhc lightning darts lere and there with splcndor
Of light and scIthine iiamc, TIC thunders cXpioue
with dc1feninc crashes, revcrbcralhg WIN tei
rbc sounds among the army o. woods the placL
clouds roll over aud darl<cn the prospect ana
as cloud becomes involved within cloud, IN !he @
shifting pale light, we have last view oi Nv
wild war we are stunned by the furN of me
tempest and the royal rage of the forest, when
down comes the deluge Of tropic rain, which IN
a short time extingusheS the white heat "ra'h
Of the elements and soothes to stiffness the noble
anger oil the woods.
The Ruwenzori, the lofty mountain range from
whose fianks the Nile derives its irst waers, IN
spires passages OF sincere 1everence IN the en-
ploIer's mind, such as these
There are many doubtless, like myself, who,
while gazing upon any ancient work, pe IL an
Egyptian Pyramid or SphynX, he II an a'henlah
palace or even an old English castle Will readily
confess to feeling peculiar emotion at the ssht
The vencrabencss OF it, which time only can give,
its associations with men long gathered 10 their
fathers, the builders and inhabIters now quit
forgotten, appeal 10 a certain sympathy III the
living For It's history there Is vague yearn-
ing; it's age awalens something liEe exultaton
that we little mor;als build such tllne-de-
fying structures. But more powerful ana higher
is that emntion which is rOused at tie sight of a