amped, though Senhor Silva warned us that we
must remain but a short time, as we wished to reach some higher ground
before dark. A fire was lighted for cooking; and while our meal was
preparing, David and I, with the two boys, went down nearer the banks to
see what was to be seen. We observed on the marshy ground a little way
off a high mound, and creeping along, that we might not disturb the
numerous birds which covered the banks or sat on the trees around, we
caught sight of another mound, with a flamingo seated on the top of it,
her long legs, instead of being tucked up as those of most birds would
have been, literally astraddle on it.

"That is one of their nests," whispered David. "The bird is a hen
sitting on her eggs. Depend upon it, the troop is not far off. See,
see! there are many others along the banks. What a funny appearance
they have."

Presently a flash of red appeared in the blue sky, and looking up, we
saw what might be described as a great fiery triangle in the air
sweeping down towards us. On it came, greatly diminishing its rate, and
we then saw that it was composed of flamingoes. They hovered for a
moment, then flew round and round, following one another, and gradually
approached the marsh, on which they alighted. Immediately they arranged
themselves as we had before seen them, in long lines, when several
marched off on either side to act as sentinels, while the rest commenced
fishing. We could see them arching their necks and digging their long
bills into the ground, while they stirred up the mud with their webbed
feet, in order to procure, as David told us, the water-insects on which
they subsist. They, however, were not the only visitors to the river.
The tide was low, and on every mud-bank or exposed spot countless
numbers of birds were collected--numerous kinds of gulls, herons, and
long-legged cranes--besides which, on the trees were perched thousands
of white birds, looking at a distance like shining white flowers. They
were the _egretta flavirostris_. Vast flocks of huge pelicans were
swimming along the stream, dipping their enormous bills into the water,
and each time bringing up a fish. They have enormous pouches, capable
of containing many pounds of their finny prey.

"Could we kill one or two we should get a good supply of fish for
supper," said David; "for the pelican stows them away in his pouch,
where they remain not only undigested, but perfectly fresh, and not till