250 WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA 



forests, and collected some rare insects, two hun- 

 dred and thirty birds, two land tortoises, five ar- 

 madillos, two large serpents, a sloth, an ant-bear, 

 and a cayman. 



I left the wilds and repaired to George-town to 

 spend a few days with Mr. R. Edmonstone pre- 

 vious to embarking for Europe. I must here 

 return my sincerest thanks to this worthy gentle- 

 man for his many kindnesses to me; his friend- 

 ship was of the utmost service to me, and he never 

 failed to send me supplies up into the forest by 

 every opportunity. 



I embarked for England, on board the Bee 

 West-Indiaman, commanded by Captain Grey. 



Sir Joseph Banks had often told me, he hoped 

 that I would give a lecture in public, on the new 

 mode I had discovered of preparing specimens in 

 natural history for museums. I always declined 

 to do so, as I despaired of ever being able to hit 

 upon a proper method of doing quadrupeds ; and 

 I was aware that it would have been an imperfect 

 lecture to treat of birds only. I imparted what 

 little knowledge I was master of, at Sir Joseph's, 

 to. the unfortunate gentlemen who went to Africa 

 to explore the Congo ; and that was all that took 

 place in the shape of a lecture. Now that I had 

 hit upon the way of doing quadrupeds, I drew 

 up a little i^lan on board the Dee, which I trusted 

 would have been of service to naturalists; and 

 by proving to them the superiority of the new 

 plan, they would probably be induced to abandon 

 the old and common way, which is a disgrace to 

 the present age, and renders hideous every speci- 

 men in every museum that I have as yet visited. 



