About an hour before noon
We also saw numbers of a species of pigeon with black bills , slate-coloured bodies , and a ruff of white feathers about the neck . One of these Johnny brought down with his bow , besides wounding very seriously , -LRB- as he alleged -RRB- , a considerable number of others . The woodpeckers and whistlers enjoyed a temporary immunity from his formidable shafts , reluctantly granted them at my intercession in their behalf , on the score of old associations . About an hour before noon we reached a spot where the stream was divided by a rocky islet , around which it spread out like a small lake . A grove , of a very peculiar appearance , and seeming to consist of a single tree , sheltered and overspread the entire spot . Here we concluded to halt , beginning by this time to feel quite tired , and inclined to rest . The water was shallow at this point , and Max wading over to the little island , presently called upon us to follow him if we wished to behold `` a veritable banyan tree . ''