devoured by mosquitoes, but at last were off at nine o’clock.  Our force consisted of two men and a little lad.  It was with difficulty that two could be accommodated beneath the awning, and Manuel and I took our places outside.  For my own part, sleep was impossible.  Now that we were in motion, the mosquitoes ceased to trouble us.  The stream was narrow, and on account of the curves, we were forced to move slowly.  We floated out under and beneath bamboos, which hung far over the water and outlined themselves like lace-work against the sky.  At first, there was moonlight.  Later, the moon set, but the stars were brilliant.  The early morning was cold, and a heavy dew dampened everything outside the awning.  During the day our men stopped on every pretext to rest and sleep, and whenever we came to a considerable stretch of water, any sign of storm or cloud was heralded.  Just before daybreak, we had reached the beginning of the first large lagoon.  Here our sail was hoisted, though it was of little use, while we poled along near shore, following all the long curves.  Our first stop, on account of a norther, was exciting; from the anxiety of the men, we expected to be instantly upset.  We ran into the mouth of a little stream and lay to, and the men were almost instantly asleep.  Our party went out exploring; our landing place was a heap of shells, whether artificial or natural I am not sure; the place was a favorite spot with hunters of caimans, or alligators, and we found numbers of almost complete skeletons and skulls lying on the banks.  The boys picked up quantities of scales and teeth, and it was interesting to see how the new conical teeth grow up under the hollows of the old ones.  We killed a duck or two for supper.  One or two large caimans were seen, as we strolled along.  Finally, I insisted upon the men starting again.  We were traversing a system of great lagoons which opened one into another.  Poling was our only mode of progress.  That night Manuel and I occupied the shelter.  When we rose, we found the great lagoon, through which we were then passing, quite different in its character from those preceding it.  Thickets of mangroves bordered the shore; the display of aerial roots was interesting, and here we were able to examine the curious smooth tips of the roots which are to penetrate the soft mud bottom.  We landed at one place to get wood and to catch a glimpse of the sea, whose roaring we had for hours heard.  We left our boat in the lagoon, and walked a short distance over sand dunes, thickly grown with trees, to the beach, which only appeared in sight when we reached the top of the last dune.  It was a gently sloping sandy stretch, upon which a fine surf was beating.  There were no pebbles save bits of water-worn coral and shell.  Quantities of sea-gulls were flying about and flocks of little snipe ran down over the retreating surf, catching food, turning and running rapidly in before the coming wave.  A single shot into the flock killed thirty-one of the little creatures,