THOUGHTS OF HOME. 211 



telebrated umbrella-chatterer was to be found there. The 

 information on this point from several parties was so positive, 

 that, though much inclined to doubt the existence of such a 

 bird at all, I could not rest satisfied without one more trial, as, 

 even if I did not find it, I had little doubt of obtaining many 

 new species to reward me. The worst of it was, that I must go 

 to Barra and return a voyage of fifteen hundred miles 

 which was very disagreeable. But there was no remedy, for I 

 had a considerable lot of miscellaneous collections here and at 

 Guia, as well as what I left at Barra, which must be packed 

 and sent off to England, or they might be destroyed by damp 

 and insects. Besides which I could not undertake a voyage 

 on this wild river for several months, without being well 

 supplied with necessaries, and articles for barter with the 

 Indians, which could only be obtained at Barra ; moreover, the 

 best season for ascending would not arrive for two or three 

 months, so that I could do scarcely anything if I remained 

 here. The months of November, December, January, and 

 February, are the "vasante," or low water, and then is the 

 summer-season, when the river presents a totally different and 

 a much more agreeable aspect, being everywhere bordered with 

 fine sandy or rocky beaches, on which one can eat and sleep 

 with comfort at any hour. Fish are then much more 

 abundant ; turtles of a new species are said to be found on the 

 sands, in the upper part of the river, and to lay abundance of 

 eggs ; the delicious fruit of the baccaba and patawa palms are 

 then ripe, and birds and insects of all kinds more easily 

 procurable. These four months I hoped, therefore, to spend 

 there, so as to be able to descend to Barra, and thence to 

 Para, in time to return to England by July or August, with a 

 numerous and valuable collection of live animals. It was on 

 account of these, principally, that I determined to return to 

 England a year before the time I had fixed upon, as it was 

 impossible to send them without personal care and attendance. 

 And so, having once made up my mind to this course, with 

 what delight I thought upon the sweets of home! What a 

 paradise did that distant land seem to me ! How I thought of 

 the many simple pleasures, so long absent, the green fields, 

 the pleasant woods, the flowery paths, the neat gardens, all so 

 unknown here ! What visions of the fireside did I conjure 

 up, of the social tea-table, with familiar faces around it! 



