s it was,
though at its last gasp, it had given him an ugly gripe, which
necessitated his being under the care of McTavish for several days.

"Of animal life we saw but little, though birds of gay plumage flew
across the stream, and cow-fish, porpoises, and other creatures
gambolled in the waters. We met, also, several floating islands,
composed of trunks of trees bound together by their branches, and
interwoven by sipos or long vines. Sometimes they were even covered
with grass, and on one of them was a jaguar still feeding on its prey,
and not aware of the fate which to a certainty awaited it. The animal
had probably leaped on the island to seize a deer which had taken refuge
there, when the victim and its destroyer had been together swept away,
the latter being afraid to venture into the rushing stream to make its
escape. It was too far off to shoot; indeed, I had no rifle ready.
When passing near the trees which grew in the water--for land was
nowhere visible--I caught sight of flocks of herons resting on the
branches.

"I went on one occasion, when we had brought up, in Anselmo's canoe, and
in an hour killed a sufficient number of them to serve all hands for
breakfast.

"Having consumed our last turtle we became badly off for fresh
provisions, as we generally anchored too far from the trees to get a
shot at a bird, or to catch any of the animals which inhabited them.

"Occasionally, however, we were visited by the canoes of the natives,
who supplied us with bananas, cocoanuts, and the dried flesh of some
large fish. The most welcome provisions they brought us were a number
of small land-tortoises, a foot and a half or two feet in length, which
were as delicate as anything I could wish to eat. As we got higher up,
the river became somewhat narrower, and we thus frequently had to pass
close to the trees.

"We had been making good way one morning with a fresh breeze, when as
the day advanced the wind began to fall: still Anselmo encouraged us
with the hope that it would get up again, and we continued our course
under all the sail we could spread.

"As he appeared to be perfectly sober at the time, I had not, as I
generally did, kept an eye on him, and therefore did not bring up as I
should have done. Finding, however, that we were going astern I ordered
the anchor to be dropped, and sent the hands to furl sails. The
topsails and topgallant-sails had fortunately been handed, and the men
were coming down