I could see right down to the mouth of the river,
Shark Point being just discernible on the western horizon. Boolambemba
Point was clearly defined; and I felt convinced that, on a fine day and
with a good telescope, I should be able to see and even to identify the
_Daphne_, should she happen to be at anchor in Banana Creek at the time.

This important point settled, I turned my attention to matters nearer at
hand, and began to look about me for the creek, the existence of which I
so strongly suspected. For a few minutes I was unable to locate it; but
suddenly my eye, wandering over the vast sea of vegetation which lay
spread out beneath me, became arrested by the appearance of a slender
straight object projecting a few feet above the tree-tops. A careful
scrutiny of this object satisfied me that it must be the mast-head of a
ship; and where the ship was, there, too, would be the creek. Doubtless
the craft lying there so snug, and in so suspiciously secret a harbour,
was the one to which our rather insolent acquaintance Madera belonged;
and curiosity strongly prompted me to have a look at her. Accordingly,
taking her bearings by the position of the sun, I descended the tree and
set out upon my quest I estimated that she was distant from my view-
point about two miles, and about one mile from Don Manuel's house. A
walk of perhaps three-quarters of an hour conducted me to the edge of a
mangrove-swamp; and I knew then that the creek must be at no great
distance. Plunging boldly into the swamp, I made my way as best I could
over the tangled roots in what I deemed the proper direction, and after
a toilsome scramble of another quarter of an hour found myself at the
water's edge.

The creek was precisely similar in character to all the others with
which I had previously made acquaintance; but so narrow and shallow at
the point where I had hit it off that I saw at once, to my vexation,
that I must have a further scramble among the mangrove-roots, exposed
all the while to the attacks of countless hosts of bloodthirsty
mosquitoes, if I would gratify my desire to see Senor Madera's vessel.
And, having gone so far, I determined not to turn back until I had
satisfied my curiosity; so on I went. My pace over such broken ground
was naturally not very brisk, so that it was fully an hour later before
I found myself standing--well concealed behind an intervening tree-
trunk--opposite a small but beautifully-modelled schooner, moor