ANECDOTE OF THE AUTHOR. 129 
nical purveyors to bring on board bundles of other 
plants; so that, confined to the ship, and incapable 
of procuring a simple specimen by their own exer- 
tion, they were yet enabled, by this simple yet 
ingenious method, to secure a comparatively large 
collection of Brazilian plants. I may be par- 
doned, perhaps, for adverting to my own experience 
on this subject. While exploring that almost inter- 
minable line of virgin forests which run parallel 
with the coast of the Capitancies of Bahia and Per- 
nambuco, I was attacked by a cutaneous disease of 
the country, and incapacitated from walking. Yet 
this mortification, great as it was, caused but a par- 
tial suspension of my zoological researches. Two 
of the Indians who accompanied me had been trained 
as entomologists,and another was a crafty hunter. All 
three were despatched every morning in different 
directions, and in the evening returned with their 
zoological spoils. Never shall I forget with what 
exquisite sensations of anticipating hope I watched 
the declension of the sun, and looked to the return 
of my people, for whom a warm supper had been 
partially prepared by myself. Every day brought 
something new to my collections, and provided us 
with food for the next: the morning was spent in 
preparing the skins of birds, and finally arranging 
the insects ; while the evening was occupied in ex- 
amining and rejoicing over new acquisitions. It 
was only in the intervals which occurred between 
the accomplishment of the one, and the near ap- 
proach of the other, that the spirits were sometimes 
depressed, and the ailments of the body severely felt. 
K 
