Wanderings in South America | Page 6

a low and plaintive tone an hour before sunrise;
the maam whistles about the same hour; the hannaquoi, pataca and
maroudi announce his near approach to the eastern horizon, and the
parrots and paroquets confirm his arrival there.
The crickets chirp from sunset to sunrise, and often during the day
when the weather is cloudy. The bête-rouge is exceedingly numerous in
these extensive wilds, and not only man, but beasts and birds, are
tormented by it. Mosquitos are very rare after you pass the third island
in the Demerara, and sand-flies but seldom appear.
Courteous reader, here thou hast the outlines of an amazing landscape
given thee; thou wilt see that the principal parts of it are but faintly
traced, some of them scarcely visible at all, and that the shades are
wholly wanting. If thy soul partakes of the ardent flame which the
persevering Mungo Park's did, these outlines will be enough for thee;
they will give thee some idea of what a noble country this is; and if
thou hast but courage to set about giving the world a finished picture of
it, neither materials to work on nor colours to paint it in its true shades
will be wanting to thee. It may appear a difficult task at a distance, but
look close at it, and it is nothing at all; provided thou hast but a quiet
mind, little more is necessary, and the genius which presides over these
wilds will kindly help thee through the rest. She will allow thee to slay
the fawn and to cut down the mountain-cabbage for thy support, and to
select from every part of her domain whatever may be necessary for the
work thou art about; but having killed a pair of doves in order to enable
thee to give mankind a true and proper description of them, thou must
not destroy a third through wantonness or to show what a good
marksman thou art: that would only blot the picture thou art finishing,

not colour it.
Though retired from the haunts of men, and even without a friend with
thee, thou wouldst not find it solitary. The crowing of the hannaquoi
will sound in thine ears like the daybreak town-clock; and the wren and
the thrush will join with thee in thy matin hymn to thy Creator, to thank
Him for thy night's rest.
At noon the genius will lead thee to the troely, one leaf of which will
defend thee from both sun and rain. And if, in the cool of the evening,
thou hast been tempted to stray too far from thy place of abode, and art
deprived of light to write down the information thou hast collected, the
fire-fly, which thou wilt see in almost every bush around thee, will be
thy candle. Hold it over thy pocket-book, in any position which thou
knowest will not hurt it, and it will afford thee ample light. And when
thou hast done with it, put it kindly back again on the next branch to
thee. It will want no other reward for its services.
When in thy hammock, should the thought of thy little crosses and
disappointments, in thy ups and downs through life, break in upon thee
and throw thee into a pensive mood, the owl will bear thee company.
She will tell thee that hard has been her fate, too; and at intervals
"Whip-poor- will" and "Willy come go" will take up the tale of sorrow.
Ovid has told thee how the owl once boasted the human form and lost it
for a very small offence; and were the poet alive now he would inform
thee that "Whip-poor- will" and "Willy come go" are the shades of
those poor African and Indian slaves who died worn out and
broken-hearted. They wail and cry "Whip-poor- will," "Willy come
go," all night long; and often, when the moon shines, you see them
sitting on the green turf near the houses of those whose ancestors tore
them from the bosom of their helpless families, which all probably
perished through grief and want after their support was gone.
About an hour above the rock of Saba stands the habitation of an Indian
called Simon, on the top of a hill. The side next the river is almost
perpendicular, and you may easily throw a stone over to the opposite
bank. Here there was an opportunity of seeing man in his rudest state.
The Indians who frequented this habitation, though living in the midst

of woods, bore evident marks of attention to their persons. Their hair
was neatly collected and tied up in a knot; their bodies fancifully
painted red, and the paint was scented with hayawa. This gave them a
gay and animated appearance. Some of them had on necklaces
composed of