It was to toil through
this under hot sun, with stinging clouds of insects. But
when they were left behind we might step into a grove of
the gods, such firmness, such pleasantness, such shady going
or happy resting under trees that dropped fruit.
We met no great forest beasts. There seemed to be none
in this part of Asia. And yet Luis and I had read of great
beasts. Dogs of no considerable size were the largest four-
footed things we had come upon from San Salvador to
Cuba. There were what they called _utias_, like a rabbit,
much used for food, and twice we had seen an animal the
size of a fox hanging from a bough by its tail.
If the beasts were few the birds were many. To see the
parrots great and small and gorgeously colored, to see those
small, small birds like tossed jewels that never sang but
hummed like a bee, to hear a gray bird sing clear and loud
and sweet every strain that sang other birds, was to see
and hear most joyous things. Lizards were innumerable;
at edge of a marsh we met with tortoises; once we passed
coiled around a tree a great serpent. It looked at us with
beady eyes, but the Indians said it would not harm a man.
A thousand, thousand butterflies spread their painted fans.
The trees! so huge of girth and height and wherever was
room so spreading, so rich of grain, so full, I knew, of
strange virtues! We found one that I thought was cinnamon,
and broke twigs and bark and put in our great pouch
for the Admiral.
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