EXCURSION ON THE RIO NEGRO. 327 
morning was not a pleasant object to contemplate. It was 
an enormous centipede close by my side, nearly a foot in 
length, whose innumerable legs looked just ready for a 
start, and whose two horns or feelers were protruded with a 
most venomous expression. These animals are not only 
hideous to look upon, but their bite is very painful, though 
not dangerous. I crept softly away from my sofa without 
disturbing my ugly neighbor, who presently fell a victim to 
science ; being very adroitly caught under a large tumbler, 
and consigned to a glass jar filled with alcohol. Captain 
Faria says that centipedes are often brought on board with 
the wood, among which they usually lie concealed, seldom 
making their appearance, unless disturbed and driven out 
of their hiding-place. To less noxious visitors of this kind 
one gets soon accustomed. As I shake out my dress, I hear 
a cold flop on the floor, and a pretty little house-lizard, 
who has found a warm' retreat in its folds, makes his 
escape with all celerity. Cockroaches swarm everywhere, 
and it would be a vigilant housekeeper who could keep 
her closets free of them. Ants are the greatest nuisance 
of all, and the bite of the fire-ant is really terrible. I 
remember once, in Esperanga's cottage, having hung some 
towels to dry on the cord of my hammock ; I was about 
to remove them, when suddenly my hand and arm 
seemed plunged into fire. I dropped the towels as if they 
had been hot coals, which for the moment they literally 
seemed to be, and then I saw that my arm was covered 
with little brown ants. Brushing them off in all haste, 
I called Laudigari, who found an army of them passing 
over the hammock, and out of the window, near which 
it hung. He said they were on their way somewhere, 
and, if left undisturbed, would be gone in an hour or 
