212 WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA 



took off in different directions. But to the point. 



Amongst us the needy man works from light 

 to dark for a maintenance. Should this man 

 chance to acquire a fortune, he soon changes his 

 habits. No longer under "strong necessity's 

 supreme command," he contrives to get out of 

 bed betwixt nine and ten in the morning. His 

 servant helps him to dress, he walks on a soft 

 carpet to his breakfast table, his wife pours out 

 his tea, and his servant hands him his toast. 

 After breakfast, the doctor advises a little gentle 

 exercise in the carriage for an hour or so. At 

 dinner-time he sits down to a table groaning be- 

 neath the weight of heterogeneous luxury: there 

 he rests upon a chair for three or four hours, 

 eats, drinks, and talks (often unmeaningly) till 

 tea is announced. He proceeds slowly to the 

 drawing-room, and there spends the best part of 

 his time in sitting, till his wife tempts him with 

 something warm for supper. After supper, he 

 still remains on his chair at rest, till he retires 

 to rest for the night. He mounts leisurely up 

 stairs upon a carpet, and enters his bed-room: 

 there, one would hope, that at least he mutters a 

 prayer or two, though perhaps not on bended 

 knee: he then lets himself drop into a soft and 

 downy bed, over which has just passed the comely 

 Jenny's warming-pan. Now, could the Indian 

 in his turn see this, he would call the white men 

 a lazy, indolent set. 



Perhaps then, upon due reflection, you would 

 draw this conclusion; that men will always be 

 indolent where there is no object to rouse them. 



As the Indian of Guiana has no idea whatever 



