ABSTRACT
ANhourmoreinourox-carts,alongthe bankofthelittleriver,inthefreshnessof theearlymorning,passingthroughEden-like villages,amongstpalmsandgarlandsofblossom-.
mgcreepers. Atapointonthebankthesampanwhich
broughtushitherisawaitingus-thelarge sampan,theroofofwhichisinthefm·mof acoffinlid.Then,leavingourcarts,we begintodescendthenarrowriver~brushedby reeds,bygrassesofgiganticsize.Firstofall, swampsgraduallygettingmoreandmoreinundated,andthenthesubm.ergedforest,which, asitenvelopsusinitspoisonousshadow, takesawaythelittlerespirableairtherewas. Anhourandahalfisspentintraversingthe glo01nylabyrinth,rowingbetweenenormous half-submergedtrees,amongstbranchesentangledwithcreepers.Itisnottillabout
mid-daythatweescapefromtheoppression oftheforestandthatthegreatlake,opening atlastaheadofus,unrollsbeforeoureyes, whicharedazzledatthesight,itswideexpanse asofaseaofgleamingtin.
