TRAVEL. 



By H. T. Staintox, f.L.S. 



" Travel," says Bacon, *' is a part of education," on which 

 Whately remarks, " travellers, who do seek for knowledge 

 on any point, are to be warned against hasty induction and 

 rash generalization, and consequent presumptuous conclu- 

 sions." 



During the past year^ having gone over much new ground, 

 I have found not only the direct advantages of that extension 

 of an area of observation, but I have also noticed that I can 

 better appreciate the voyao^es and travels of others ; their 

 sketches of scenery are more vividly pourtrayed to the imagi- 

 nation, and in reading their descriptions I seem to go over 

 the same district accompanied by an experienced guide. 



Hence, no sooner had I returned from the Mediterranean 

 than I found myself in company with !Mr. Bates (a most 

 excellent fellow-tiaveller), passing along the shores of " the 

 iNlediterranean of South America," as the Paracuses tenii 

 the Amazons. It is true we were often in leaky boats, incur- 

 ring risks of being swamped, but the walls of forest, as we 

 wound our way up the mighty stream, are indelibly stamped 

 on the memory. And during our sojourn at Ega, where no 

 less than 7000 species of insects were found (many of them 

 Tineina yet to be described), how much there was of interest 

 in the flooding of the Amazons with the rainy season, — a rise 

 som.etimes of forty-five feet occurring I Suddenly I seemed 

 to part companv with Mr. Bates, and Mr. Hinchlitf escorted 



1864. ' B 



