Aia'KAKAiXCE UF THE FORES 1'b'. 31 



ty families, who had lived together for many years, 

 even occurred to the owner. Yet I will pledge 

 myself, that in humanity and good feeling he was 

 superior to the common run of men. It may be 

 said there exists no limit to the blindness of inter- 

 est and selfish habit. I may mention one very tri- 

 fling anecdote, which at the time struck me more 

 forcibly than any story of cruelty. I was crossing 

 a ferry with a negro, who was uncommonly stupid. 

 In endeavouring to make him understand, I talked 

 loud, and made signs, in doing which I passed my 

 hand near his face. He, I suppose, thought I was 

 in a passion, and was going to strike him ; for in- 

 stantly, with a frightened look and half-shut eyes, 

 he dropped his hands. I shall never forget my feel- 

 ings of surprise, disgust, and shame, at seeing a 

 great powerful man afraid even to ward off a blow, 

 directed, as he thought, at his face. This man had 

 been trained to a degradation lower than the slave- 

 ry of the most helpless animal. 



April ISt/i. — In returning we spent two days at 

 Socego, and I employed them in collecting insects 

 in the forest. The greater number of trees, al- 

 though so lofty, are not more than three or four 

 feet in circumference. There are, of course, a 

 few of much greater dimension. Senhor Manuel 

 was then making a canoe 70 feet in length from a 

 solid trunk, which had originally been 110 feet 

 long, and of great thickness. The contrast of 

 palm trees, gi-owing amidst the common branch- 

 ing kinds, never fails to give the scene an inter- 

 tropical character. Here the woods were orna- 

 mented by the Cabbage Palm — one of the most 

 beautiful of its family. With a stem so narrow 

 that it might be clasped with the two hands, it 

 waves its elegant head at the height of forty or 

 fifty feet above the ground. The woody creepers, 



