ey would soon invade the territory and destroy everything in a
short time. Foreign plants do not escape. No way has been found yet of
extirpating them.

CHAPTER XX

Benedicto and the Honey--Constantly collapsing from Exhaustion--A
Strange Accident--Finding a River--People's Mistaken
Ideas--Sixteen Days of Starvation--An Abandoned Hut--Repairing a
Broken-down Canoe--Canoe founders--A Raft constructed of Glass

ON September 11th we had another terrible march, the forest being very
dense and much entangled along the stream. We had great trouble in
getting through, as there were many palms and ferns, and we had no more
strength to cut down our way. We came to a big tree, which was hollow
inside up to a great height, and round which were millions of bees.

Benedicto, who was a great connoisseur in such matters, said that high up
inside the tree there must be honey. The bees round that tree were
unfortunately stinging bees. We drew lots as to who should go inside the
tree to get the honey. It fell to Benedicto. We took off most of our
clothes and wrapped up his head and legs so that he might proceed to the
attack. The job was not an easy one, for in the first reconnaissance he
made with his head inside the tree he discovered that the honey must be
not less than 20 ft. above the ground, and it was necessary to climb up
to that height inside the tree before he could get it. In order to hasten
matters--as Benedicto was reluctant in carrying out the job--I tried my
hand at it, but I was stung badly by hundreds of bees behind my head, on
my eyelids, on my arms and legs. When I came out of the tree I was simply
covered with angry bees, which stung me all over. So I told Benedicto
that, as Fate had called upon him to do the work, he had better do it.

Benedicto was certainly very plucky that day. All of a sudden he dashed
inside the tree and proceeded to climb up. We heard wild screams for some
minutes; evidently the bees were protecting their home well. While
Filippe and I were seated outside, smiling faintly at poor Benedicto's
plight, he reappeared. We hardly recognized him when he emerged from the
tree, so badly stung and swollen was his face, notwithstanding the
protection he had over it. All he brought back was a small piece of the
honeycomb about as large as a florin. What little honey there was inside
was quite putrid, but we divided it into three equal parts and devoured
it ravenously, bees a