During the first few hours of the march, they saw troops of monkeys, who manifested the greatest astonishment at the sight of human beings. Spilett laughingly asked if these robust quadrumanes did not look upon their party as degenerate brethren; and, in truth, the simple pedestrians, impeded at each step by the bushes, entangled in the lianas, stopped by tree trunks, did not compare favorably with these nimble animals, which bounded from branch to branch, moving about without hindrance. These monkeys were very numerous, but, fortunately, they did not manifest any hostile disposition. They saw, also, some wild-boars, some agoutis, kangaroos, and other rodents, and two or three koulas, which latter Pencroff would have been glad to shoot. “But,” said he, “the hunt has not begun. Play now, my friends, and we will talk to you when we come back.” At half-past 9, the route, which bore directly southwest, was suddenly interrupted by a rapid stream, rushing over rocks, and pent in between banks but thirty or forty feet apart. It was deep and clear, but absolutely unnavigable. “We are stopped!” cried Neb. “No,” replied Herbert; “we can swim such a brook as this.” “Why should we do that?” answered Smith. “It is certain that this creek empties into the sea. Let us keep to this bank and I will be astonished if it does not soon bring us to the coast. Come on!” “One minute,” said the reporter. “The name of this creek, my friends? We must not leave our geography incomplete.” “True enough,” said Pencroff. “You name it, my boy,” said the engineer, addressing Herbert. “Will not it be better to wait till we have discovered its mouth?” asked Herbert. “Right,” replied Smith, “let us push on.” “Another minute,” exclaimed Pencroff. “What more?” demanded the reporter. “If hunting is forbidden, fishing is allowed, I suppose,” said the sailor. “We haven’t the time to waste,” answered the engineer. “But just five minutes,” pleaded Pencroff; “I only want five minutes for the sake of breakfast!” And lying down on the bank he plunged his arms in the running waters and soon brought up several dozen of the fine crawfish which swarmed between the rocks. “These will be good!” cried Neb, helping the sailor. “Did not I tell you that the island had everything but tobacco?” sighed the sailor. It took but five minutes to fill a sack with these little blue crustaceæ, and then the journey was resumed. By following the bank the colonists moved more freely. Now and then they found traces of large animals which came to the stream for water, but they found no sign of human beings, and they were not yet in that part of the Far West where the peccary had received the leaden pellet which cost Pencroff a tooth.