, which they spear or take with nets. Some of the young women were
pretty good-looking, and wore scant petticoats made of the cabbage palm
leaves, but the men had on little more than a belt round the waist with
a few leaves hung from it.

"As I was afraid that my people would be going in search of us, and very
likely lose themselves, I made the natives understand that I should be
glad to take my departure; they nodded, and two of them got into the
smallest of their canoes and paddled a little way, to show that they
were ready to pilot us. Shaking hands with all round, the youngsters
and I got into our canoe and followed our guides. I had to exert
myself, however, to keep up with them, but as I knew that where they
went my canoe could pass, we made good way. We had gone some distance
when the sound of a gun reached us echoing from trunk to trunk
throughout the forest, but it was not easy to ascertain from what
direction it came, and had I been alone, it would scarcely have served
to guide me. The natives, however, paddled on in their former course,
showing me that they knew perfectly well what they were about. We soon
came out into an open part of the river, a short distance above where
the brig lay, and I at once made out her spars rising against the sky.

"Our absence had caused some anxiety to Bevan and the rest. He had just
lowered a boat and was about to send Norris and Needham to look for us.
The natives were well satisfied with the reward I bestowed on them, not
so Anselmo at seeing it given.

"`One bullet through the head or poke with a pike, good enough for dem,'
observed the rascal.

"I resolved the next time I went plum-picking to carry a compass, and to
get back before the sun should sink below the tops of the trees.

"By-the-bye, the sun is often not to be obtained as a guide, for I
afterwards visited parts of the forest where even his rays could not
penetrate.

"We got under weigh the next morning as soon as the sea-breeze reached
us, but again Senor Anselmo managed to get drunk as a fiddler, and after
we had nearly been run on shore, I was obliged to bring up, a fact of
which he was totally unaware. There he stood at his usual post,
shouting out to the helmsman, `Starboard! port! steady!' and at last, as
grave as a judge, he observed to me--

"`It's time to bring up, captain; us no make headway, I see.'

"`I should think not, mate,' said Needham, `vessels don't often go ahead
with the anch