42 WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AJMERICA 



Mungo Park's did, these outlines will be enough 

 for thee : they will give thee some idea of what a 

 noble country this is ; and if thou hast but courage 

 to set about giving the world a finished picture 

 of it, neither materials to work on, nor colours to 

 paint it in its true shades, will be wanting to thee. 

 It may appear a difficult task at a distance; but 

 look close at it, and it is nothing at all ; provided 

 thou hast but a quiet mind, little more is neces- 

 sary, and the genius which presides over these 

 wilds will kindly help thee through the rest. She 

 will allow thee to slay the fawn, and cut down the 

 Mountain-cabbage for thy support, and to select 

 from every part of her domain whatever may be 

 necessary for the work thou art about ; but having 

 killed a pair of Doves in order to enable thee to 

 give mankind a true and proper description of 

 them, thou must not destroy a third through wan- 

 tonness, or to show what a good marksman thou 

 art; that would only blot the picture thou art 

 finishing, not colour it. 



Though retired from the haunts of men, and 

 even without a friend with thee, thou wouldst not 

 find it solitary. The crowing of the Hannaquoi 

 will sound in thine ears like the daybreak town- 

 clock; and the Wren and the Thrush will join with 

 thee in thy matin hymn to thy Creator, to thank 

 Him for thy night's rest. 



At noon thy Genius will lead thee to the Troely, 

 one leaf of which will defend thee from both sun 

 and rain. And if, in the cool of the evening, thou 

 hast been tempted to stray too far from thy place 

 of abode, and art deprived of light to write down 

 the information thou hast collected, the Firefly, 



