WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA 303 



Grecian cast; and he has a placidity of counte- 

 nance which shows that things went well with him 

 when in life. Some gentlemen of great skill and 

 talent, on inspecting his head, were convinced 

 that the whole series of its features has been 

 changed. Others again have hesitated, and be- 

 trayed donbts, not being able to make up their 

 minds, whether it be possible, that the brute fea- 

 tures of the monkey can be changed into the noble 

 countenance of man. — ''Scinditur vulgus." One 

 might argue at considerable length on this novel 

 subject; and perhaps, after all, produce little 

 more than prolix pedantry. "Vox et praeterea 

 nihil.'' 



Let us suppose for an instant, that it is a new 

 species. Well ; ' ' Una golondrina no hace verano ; * * 

 one swallow does not make summer, as Sancho 

 Panza says. Still, for all that, it would be well 

 worth while going out to search for it ; and these 

 times of Pasco-Peruvian enterprise are favour- 

 able to the undertaking. Perhaps, gentle reader, 

 you would wish me to go in quest of another. I 

 would beg leave respectfully to answer, that the 

 way is dubious, long, and dreary; and though, 

 unfortunately, I cannot allege the excuse of ''me 

 pia conjux detinet," still I would fain crave a 

 little repose. I have already been a long while 

 errant : — 



"Longa mihi exilia, et vastum maris aequor aravi, 

 Ne mandate mihi, nam ego sum def essus agendo. ' * 



Should anybody be induced to go, great and in- 

 numerable are the discoveries yet to be made 

 in those remote wilds ; and should he succeed in 



