e than seven main trunks; but numberless
sepos interlaced the boughs, and striking downwards, where they had
apparently taken root, had again sprung upwards, forming spiral stems,
some considerably thicker than a man's body, others as thin as the
smallest ropes of a ship's rigging. We had no great difficulty in
making our way, but caution was necessary to save ourselves from
tumbling down into the water. Among the trees was a beautiful cedar,
three palm-trees of different species, and a cotton-tree of prodigious
height, with widespreading top. Another was called the mulatto-tree;
which had a tall, slim trunk, and leaves of a dark green, with branches
spreading amid those of its neighbours, and covered with clusters of
small white flowers. But I cannot attempt to describe either the trees
or the numerous parasitic plants, some worthy to be called trees from
their size, which formed this curious grove. Several besides the
fig-trees bore fruit and nuts, affording food to monkeys and other
animals, and to various species of birds.

One end of the grove was less closely united than the main portion, but
still two projecting boughs interlaced, and were joined likewise by
chains of sepos, forming an easy communication between the two parts.
Arthur and I, wishing to explore the whole of this somewhat confined
region of which we were for a time the inhabitants, made our way across
this natural bridge I have described. When we got to the further end we
heard a concert of gentle "caws," far less sonorous than those made by
the parrots we had seen passing near the grove on the previous day, the
sounds now rising, now falling. Stopping to ascertain from what
direction in the grove the noises proceeded, we soon discovered that
they came from a tree which shot out several branches about a dozen or
twenty feet from the surface of the water.

"Those noises must come from parrots, I am sure," said Arthur, after we
had listened a little time. "We shall be able to get a fine collection
of young birds, which will be far more tender than the old ones. We
will just take a few for supper to-night, and we can return when we want
more."

Accordingly, we climbed along among the branches.

"I see some old birds there too," observed Arthur. "If they are
parrots, they are very large ones. I suspect that they are macaws. We
shall soon find out, however."

We had stopped to rest, for that sort of climbing was somewhat fatiguing
work;