32 WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA 



\ to its destination ; and here he may often view all 

 the different shades, from the red savage to the 

 white man, and from the white man to the sootiest 

 son of Africa. 



Beyond this post there are no more habitations 

 of white men, or free people of colour. 



In a country so extensively covered with wood 

 as this is, having every advantage that a tropical 

 sun and the richest mould, in many places, can 

 give to vegetation, it is natural to look for trees of 

 very large dimensions ; but it is rare to meet with 

 them above six yards in circumference. If larger 

 have ever existed, they have fallen a sacrifice 

 either to the axe or to fire. 



If, however, they disappoint you in size, they 

 make ample amends in height. Heedless and 

 bankrupt in all curiosity must he be who can jour- 

 ney on without stopping to take a view of the 

 towering Mora. Its topmost branch, when naked 

 with age or dried by accident, is the favourite 

 resort of the Toucan. Many a time has this 

 singular bird felt the shot faintly strike him from 

 the gun of the fowler beneath, and owed his life 

 to the distance betwixt them. 



The trees which form these far-extending wilds 

 are as useful as they are ornamental. It would 

 take a volume of itself to describe them. 



The Green-heart, famous for its hardness and 

 durability; the Hackea, for its toughness; the 

 Ducalabali, surpassing mahogany ; the Ebony and 

 Letter-wood, vying with the choicest woods of the 

 old world; the Locust-tree, yielding copal; and 

 the Hayawa and Olou-trees, furnishing a sweet- 



