, a sandy cove, plenty of nipah-palms ready for making
into thatch or wails for their hut, and an abundance of slight young
palm-trees like scaffold poles exactly suitable for making their hut or
shed.

"We must go back, Mark," said the major. "This is a find that will save
them endless trouble."

It seemed a pity to return, as the sun was growing very hot; but they
tramped back, and the captain followed when they again started, to
decide with Gregory whether it would be a better site.

"Now," said the major, leaving them to their discussion, "you shall try
and bring down the first eatable bird we see, and I'll look out for pig
or deer."

"Are you going straight inland?" asked Mark.

"No, but just as the open ground beside this stream will let us. I want
to get to the high ground and reach the slope of the volcano if we can."

It was not an easy task; for though the jungle was open here in
comparison to what it was on either hand, every step of the way was
impeded by creepers, awkward roots, patches of moss into which their
feet sank, and by the rattan-canes that draped the trees and ran in and
out and enlaced them together, as if nature were making rough attempts
to turn the edge of the forest into a verdant piece of basket-work.

The heat was great and it was rather exhausting toil, but at every turn
the beauties of the place were quite startling to Mark in their novelty.
Over the clear sun-spangled stream drooped the loveliest of ferns,
whose fronds were like the most delicate lace; while by way of contrast
other ferns clung to the boles of trees, that were dark-green and forked
like the horns of some huge stag; great masses and clusters, six or
seven feet long, hung here and there pendent from the old stumps.

Flowers too were in abundance, but for the most part quaintly-shaped
orchids of cream, and yellow, and brown, some among the moss, others
clinging to the mossy bark of the trees. But the greatest curiosities
of all were the pitcher-plants hanging here and there, some fully
suspended, others so large that they partly rested on the moss, forming
jungle cups capable of containing fully a pint of water, some of them
even more.

The beauties of the scene increased, in spite of each one in which they
paused seeming as if it could not be surpassed; for as they penetrated
more deeply they not only came upon flowering trees about which tiny
sun-birds, whose plumage was a blaze of burnished metallic splendo