170 WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AIMERICA 



ing to retire to a hollow tree rather than to asso- 

 ciate with their new landlord. The bats and 

 vampires stayed with me, and went in and out as 

 usual. 



It was upon this hill in former days that I first 

 tried to teach John, the black slave of my friend 

 Mr. Edmonstone, the proper way to do birds. 

 But John had poor abilities, and it required much 

 time and patience to drive anything into him. 

 Some years after this his master took him to Scot- 

 land, where, becoming free, John left him, and 

 got employed in the Glasgow, and then the Edin- 

 burgh museum. Mr. Eobert Edmonstone, nephew 

 to the above gentleman, had a fine mulatto capa- 

 ble of learning anything. He requested me to 

 teach him the art. I did so. He was docile and 

 active, and was with me all the time in the forest ; 

 I left him there to keep up this new art of preserv- 

 ing birds, and to communicate it to others. Here 

 then I fixed my head quarters, in the ruins of this 

 once gay and hospitable house. Close by, in a 

 little hut, which in times long past had served 

 for a store to keep provisions in, there lived a 

 coloured man and his wife, by name Backer. 

 Many a kind turn they did to me ; and I was more 

 than once of service to them and their children, 

 by bringing to their relief in time of sickness 

 what little knowledge I had acquired of medicine. 



I would here, gentle reader, wish to draw thy 

 attention, for a few minutes, to physic, raiment, 

 and diet. Shouldst thou ever wander through 

 these remote and dreary wilds, forget not to carry 

 with thee bark, laudanum, calomel, and jalap, and 

 the lancet. There are no druggist shops here, 



