dently seeking our society, they began a most
extraordinary concert, if such it could be called, for certainly it was
not singing. Sometimes one of them would speak in a hollow voice, then
another would bark, imitating Caesar; now one fellow would yelp like a
fox, and make a rattling sound like that of a rattlesnake. Others
croaked like frogs, and imitated the sneeze of a human being. Had we
heard them without seeing the birds, we should have thought some strange
creatures inhabited the wood; but, in reality, the birds were only
trying, by producing sounds familiar to our ears, to tell us that we
were welcome to their native forest.

It is very difficult to keep a cat-bird in captivity, as it soon pines
and dies; or it would certainly be preferred to a parrot, on account of
its far superior talent of imitation. Lejoillie refrained from killing
any of our amusing friends, who remained watching us all the time we
were in camp.

We required a day's rest before proceeding farther on our journey; for
we could not tell what difficulties we might have to encounter, and it
would be necessary to be in full strength to overcome them. Having
examined the ground thoroughly, to ascertain that it was not inhabited
by spiders, like our last camping-place, we built three cabbage-palm
huts, and collected fuel sufficient to keep up the fire during the
night. Before turning in, we had another talk about our future
proceedings. I undertook, the first thing in the morning, to climb to
the top of the highest tree, from which I could get a look-out over the
country to the eastward and north-east, round the northern end of the
lake. Should it appear practicable, we resolved to proceed by land; but
if not, we determined to spend the next day in building a raft to cross
the lake. We expected to find it sufficiently shallow to enable us to
pole most of the way over. We agreed to make some paddles, and, in case
the wind should be favourable, to use our blankets as sails. Jup was
the most experienced sailor among us, though we all knew enough about
boating to undertake such a voyage without fear. We kept a watch during
the night, so that, should any hostile Indians approach, we might fight
for our lives, and not be murdered in our sleep, as might be the case
should we be caught napping. For the sake of health, and to avoid
mosquitoes, it was always necessary to camp on the highest ground we
could find. We were more exposed to view fr