The Anaconda standard., 1890-07-13
IN AN. AFRICAN FOREST
Stanley'S Description Of the Country
Through Which He Struggled.
Territory as Large as France and
Spain So Packed With Trees
as to Be Almost I'M
penetrabie.

- ma,;ne the whole of France and the
u,or;., ,;,s,I. ,,os.,v n,cLod with
A,r,os ,a-,,;n,, fro,, ,v.n,y 4, ,so Zoo,
-. - -, % ,aI;. ;,,,.u,.,,
"s"' """'.
anu preNeht an! we" oi shy anu su"' anu
each tree from Few inches To Tour feet
i'm diameter. Then from tree to tree run
cables from two inches To fifteen inches
i'm d;aueter nm and down I'm Looms and
f.s,oons ,nd w. ,,d h,,l,, formnd NJ
s-,s -. -, '.', . -. -. =, -. -,
'o'. '"'u, io""" ''' "e' W s'"' "s'
cons untii they nave run up tue en'ire
height like endless anacondas' let thcm
flower and leaf luxuriantly and mix up
above with the foliage of the trees 10 hide
,b. sun ,ban from, IN. highest branches
D.. 81, ~, -. % a. raLI,s ro,chin,
ie' i''. w. nus W 4, p',,,Is ..';,,
near 'o .'' s'o""' '' w,
irayeu eNtrentles, ior 'hese repres.ht
the air-roots OF the Epiphytes; let slender
cords hang down also in tassels with
omen thread-work at the ends Work others
,hrouyb and through these as confusedly
49,, ,,,,'-.';,,Io a,a ,,o,,I.,, from, branch
IL ,''I,',l ,,;..a,,..I =,
10 prahch WIN a's',"'. VI
material, ana NJ every TORN anu on every
horizontal branch plant cabbage ichens
Of the largest kind, and broad spear-leaved
nlants-tbese would represent the ele-
nbant-eared plant-and orchids and clus-
-, 90 ,,o,,.,,h,o ,,,rycIs and n ,Ir,nerv
-. ...,,;.L aI.,.,,,,J ~,
Oh uehca'e ierhs "'i''' "'o",'" No"
cover tree. branch tWlg' anu crccpcr
win thick moss IKE green inr' W mere
the forest Is compact as urscriDeu aoove'
we may not 90 more ,hah cover inc
ground closely WIN a tlick crop pi phary.
MIA, and amona, and dwarf bush; but "
the hglltIling, as frequently happens, mas
severed the crown OF proud Tree, ana iet
IN the sunlight, or split giant down 10 It's
roots, or scorchrd u dead, or torhauo
has been uprooting few trees, then The
race for air ana light has caused a multi
tude of baby trees To rush upward
crowded, crushing, ana trcading upon ana
strangling one announcer uhtii the whole Is
one imperviots bush.
But the average forest Is "A mixture OF
these scenes. There viii probably be
groups OF 80 trees standing like col lumns
of cathedral, gray and solemn IN the
twilight, and IN the midst there VIII be a
naked and gaunt patriarch, bleached
white and around IL VIII have grown
young community, each young tree
clambering upward tn become heir Ia the
area OF light and sunshine once occupied
10y the sire. The law OF primogeniture
rclgns here also.
There Is also death from wounds, sick
ness, decay. hereditary disease and old
age, ana various acclucnts iilinning the
forest, removing the unit, the weakly,
The unauaptable, as among humanity.
Let us suppose tall chief among the
giants. like an insolcnt sou OF Anak. by
"A head hc lifts himself above his fellows
the monarch of all lac surveys but his
pride attracts the lightning, and lac be-
comes shivered to the roots, he topples,
declines, and wounds half dozen other
trees in his fall. This Is why We see so
many humorous eNcrescenccs, great
goltrous swellings, ana deforined trunks.
The parasites again have frequently
been outliyed by the trees they had hall
strangled, aud the deep marks of their
forceful pressure may be traced up 10 the
forks. Some have sickened 10y Intense
rivalry of otber Kinds, ana have perished
at an immature age; some have grown
with deep crook IN Their stems, by a
prostrate log which had fallen ana pressed
thein ooiiqneiy. Some nave been injured
oy branches, fallen during storm, ana
uwarfeu untlnely. Some nave been
gnawed by rodents, or have been sprained
by elephants leaning on tlleIn 10 rub Their
prurient hides, and ants OF all kinds have
done infinite mischlef. Some have been
pecked al by birds, until We see ulccrous
sores eNtidlng great Rlobnles of gum, and
frequently tall and short nonads have
tried their axes. spears, aud knives on the
trees, and hence we see that decay am
death are busy here as with us.
10 complete the mental picture OF this
ruthless forest the ground should he
strewn thickly with half-forned buInus of
rotting twigs, leaves, branches; every few
yards there should be a PROSTATE giant, "A
porting generations of insects and colon
t..u. % l.s.lf l..I f.sl.