i8 4 8.1 RETURN FROM THE LAKE. 73 



which supplies the lamps on all Mr. C.'s estates. It has rather 

 a disagreeable smell, but not worse than train-oil. I now went 

 out every day with my gun about the campo, or to the clumps 

 of wood called islands, on the banks of the small streams. 

 The principal birds I procured were toucans, parrots, hawks, 

 and buzzards, the red-headed manakin, and numerous small 

 finches and fly-catchers. The mango-trees were loaded with 

 ripe fruit, and attracted many small tanagers and paroquets. 

 I now ate the mango for the first time, and soon got to like it 

 very much. It is not generally eaten in Para except by the 

 Negroes, who seem very fond of it, to judge by the certainty 

 with which every fruit disappeared the moment it became 

 ripe. There seems to be scarcely an animal that is not fond 

 of it, cattle, sheep, pigs, ducks, and fowls, all rush to secure 

 every fruit that falls. 



Soon after Christmas we had a few showers at intervals, and 

 the grass began to grow more greenly a sign that the summer 

 was nearly at an end. Some butterflies and moths now made 

 their appearance, and the skirts of the forest were covered 

 with passion-flowers, convolvuluses, and many other flowers. 

 Bees and wasps also began to abound, and several aquatic birds 

 I had not before seen made their appearance. In January, 

 Mr. C. and his family and some visitors arrived to spend a few 

 weeks on the island, and the time passed more pleasantly. 

 Several of the Negroes were sent hunting, and wild ducks of 

 various species, deer, armadillos, and fish, with beef and 

 mutton, gave us plenty for our table. Several jaguars were 

 killed, as Mr. C. pays about eight shillings each for their skins : 

 one day we had some steaks at the table, and found the meat 

 very white, and without any bad taste. 



It appears evident to me that the common idea of the 

 food of an animal determining the quality of its meat is quite 

 erroneous. Domestic poultry and pigs are the most unclean 

 animals in their food, yet their flesh is very highly esteemed, 

 while rats and squirrels, which eat only vegetable food, are in 

 general disrepute. Carnivorous fish are not less delicate eating 

 than herbivorous ones, and there appears no reason why some 

 carnivorous animals should not furnish wholesome and palatable 

 food. Venison, so highly esteemed at home, is here the most 

 dry and tasteless meat that can be had, as it must be cooked 

 within twelve hours after it is killed. 



