WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA 107 



trade winds prevail about thirty degrees on each 

 side of the equator. This part of the ocean may 

 be called the Elysian Fields of Neptune's Em- 

 pire; and the torrid zone, notwithstanding Ovid's 

 remark, "non est habitabilis sestu," is rendered 

 healthy and pleasant by these gently-blowing 

 breezes. The ship glides smoothly on, and you 

 soon fmd yourself within the northern tropic. 

 When you are on it, Cancer is just over your 

 head, and betwixt him and Capricorn is the high 

 road of the Zodiac forty-seven degrees wide, 

 famous for Phaeton's misadventure. His father 

 begged and entreated him not to take it into his 

 head to drive parallel to the five zones, but to 

 mind and keep on the turnpike which runs 

 obliquely across the equator. ''There you will 

 distinctly see," said he, "the ruts of my chariot 

 wheels, 'manifesta rotae vestigia cernes.' But." 

 added he, "even suppose you keep on it, and 

 avoid the by-roads, nevertheless, my dear boy, 

 believe me, you will be most sadly put to your 

 shifts; 'ardua prima via est,' the first part of the 

 road is confoundedly steep! 'ultima via prona 

 est, ' and after that it is all down hill. Moreover, 

 'per insidias iter est, formasque ferarum,' the 

 road is full of nooses and bull-dogs, 'Haemon- 

 iosque arcus,' and spring guns, 'saevaque cir- 

 cuitu, curvantem brachia longo, Scorpio,' and 

 steel traps of uncommon size and shape." These 

 were nothing in the eyes of Phaeton; go he would, 

 so off he set, full speed, four-in-hand. He had a 

 tough drive of it; and after doing a prodigious 

 deal of mischief, very luckily for the world, he 



