THE SAD AND MOMENTOUS ERA REFERRED TO AT THE CLOSE OF THE CHAPTER PRECEDING THE LAST One sultry evening, many weeks after our travellers had passed the uncomfortable night on the floating island in the Gapo, they came to a place where the banks of the river rose boldly up in rugged rocks and hemmed in the waters of the Amazon, which were by this time somewhat abated.

Here they put ashore, intending to kindle their fire and encamp for the night, having been up and hard at work since daybreak.
The evening was calm and beautiful, and the troublesome insects not so numerous as usual,--probably owing to the nature of the ground.

One or two monkeys showed themselves for a moment, as if to enquire who was there, and then ran away screaming; a porcupine also crossed their path, and several small bright snakes, of a harmless species, glided over the rocks, and sought refuge among the small bushes; but beyond these there were few of the sights and sounds that were wont to greet them in the forest.
"I think things look well to-night," remarked Martin as he threw down a bundle of sticks which he had gathered for the fire; "we shall have a comfortable snooze for certain, if the mosquitoes don't wake up." "I'm not so sure of that," replied Barney, striking a light with flint and steel and stooping to puff the smouldering spark into a flame.

"I've larned by exparience that ye niver can be--puff--sure o' nothin' in this--puff--remarkable country.

Jist look at Darkey now," continued the Irishman, sitting down on a stone before the fire, which now began to kindle up, and stuffing the tobacco into his pipe with his little finger.
"There he is, a livin' Naygur, aliftin' of the provision-bag out o' the canoe.