"It is truly very beautiful," said Minha, "and it would be very
pleasant for us always to travel in this way, on this quiet water,
shaded from the rays of the sun."
"At the same time pleasant and dangerous, dear Minha," said Manoel.
"In a pirogue there is doubtless nothing to fear in sailing here, but
on a huge raft of wood better have a free course and a clear stream."
"We shall be quite through the forest in a couple of hours," said the
pilot.
"Look well at it, then!" said Lina. "All these beautiful things pass
so quickly! Ah! dear mistress! do you see the troops of monkeys
disporting in the higher branches, and the birds admiring themselves
in the pellucid water!"
"And the flowers half-opened on the surface," replied Minha, "and
which the current dandles like the breeze!"
"And the long lianas, which so oddly stretch from one tree to
another!" added the young mulatto.
"And no Fragoso at the end of them!" said Lina's betrothed. "That was
rather a nice flower you gathered in the forest of Iquitos!"
"Just behold the flower--the only one in the world," said Lina
quizzingly; "and, mistress! just look at the splendid plants!"
And Lina pointed to the nymph?as with their colossal leaves, whose
flowers bear buds as large as cocoanuts.
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