Natural History. 405 



the detachment for two days ; hut our exertions being useless, I 

 sent hack the guide (he never having been farther), with one of 

 the soldiers of my escort, to the river Guaray, directing the latter 

 to return with another guide. In the mean time we waited on 

 the borders of the rivulet, in a place inhabited only by a multi- 

 tude of jaguars, immense troops of wild mares, stags, and ostriches, 

 opposite the right bank of the Uruguay. 



" For four days we were inconvenienced in this desert place, by 

 heavy rains, and multitudes of annoying insects, with no other 

 shelter than my cart. On the fifth day the weather became fine, 

 and I went to botanize in the country about the river, accompanied 

 by two of my men, all well armed against the attacks of jaguars. 

 After some hours, hunger sent us back to the rivulet, and we ate 

 of our usual food, the flour of the manhioc, and cow-beef, roast 

 and boiled. 



" During a short walk, the evening before, we perceived a wasps' 

 nest suspended at about a foot from the earth, from one of the 

 branches of a small tree. It was nearly oval, about the size of 

 the head, of a gray colour, and of the paper-like consistence of 

 European wasps' nests. 



" After our breakfast, my two companions went to destroy this 

 wasp's nest, and they took out the honey. We all three tasted 

 of it. I ate most, but the quantity did not exceed two spoonfuls. 

 The honey had a mild agreeable taste, and was quite free from 

 the physic-like taste so often belonging to our bee-honey. 



" After having eaten, I felt a pain in the stomach, not violent, 

 but inconvenient. I lay down under my cart, and went to sleep ; 

 during which, those objects dearest to me were present to my 

 imagination, and I awoke deeply affected. I rose, but felt such 

 extreme weakness, that I could not take fifty steps. I returned to 

 the cart, lay down on the grass, and felt my face bathed in tears. 

 Blushing at my weakness, I laughed at myself, and notwithstand- 

 ing my efforts, this laugh became lengthened and convulsive. 

 Nevertheless, I had power to give some orders, and during the 

 time my chasseur, one of the two Brazilians who had eaten with 

 me, arrived. 



u This man united, to rare intelligence, a light and fantastic 

 character. Often, after long periods of amusing gaiety, he would, 

 without any' reason, fall into a dull melancholy state, continuing 

 for weeks, and then he would find sources of irritation in the 

 most innocent Avords and delicate attentions. His name was Joze 

 Mariano ; he approached me, and said, with a gay but wild ap- 

 pearance, that for the last half hour he moved about the place 

 without knowing where he was going. He sat down under the 

 cart, making' a place for me ; I had much difficulty in reaching 

 it, and feeling my extreme weakness, rested my head upon his 

 shoulder. 



