IN SOUTH AMERICA. 847 



boars and rabbits, the pac, the ant-eater, the porcupine, the floth, the tatoo or arma- 

 dillo, and numerous others, of which fome were drawn by me, while of the refidue 

 the reprefentations taken by M. de Morainville were left in the cuftody of Mr. Godin. 



It is by no means aftonifhing that in countries fo hot and humid as that of which I 

 treat, ferpents and fnakes of every kind fhould be common, I have read, but in what 

 relation I forget, that none of thofe of the Amazons are poifonous ; what however is 

 more certain, while many of them are perfectly innocent, of a number of others the 

 bite is almofl conftantly mortal. One of the mofl dangerous is the rattle-fnake, re- 

 markable by the variety and livelinefs of its colours ; but the moft rare and fmgular 

 of all is a large amphibious ferpent, from twenty-five to thirty feet long and more than 

 a foot thick, according to report ; it is called Tacu Mama, or the Mother of the Water 

 by the Americans of Maynas, and commonly inhabits the large lakes formed by the river* 

 waters after floods. Fa(5i:s are related refpedling them of which not even the fancied evi- 

 dence of my fenfes could prevent me from doubting, though I fhould fee them, and vi'hich 

 I merely venture to repeat from the ferious aflurance of their authenticity of the author 

 of El Oronooco Iluftrado before quoted. Not only as affirmed by the Americans, 

 does this amazing ferpent fwaliow a goat whole, but alfo by its breath irrefiftibly 

 attracts thofe animals towards it, which it devours. Various Portuguefe of Para en- 

 deavoured to perfuade me of the verity of tales equally improbable, for example, of 

 another immenfe fnake which kills men with its tail. I fufpeft this laft to be of the 

 fame fpecies found in the woods of Cayenne. There, experience fhews, that notwith- 

 flanding its teeth are well calculated to excite terror, a man may be bitten by it, and 

 preferve the marks of its fangs without any dangerous confequence : of this reptile I 

 brought home two fliins, one of which, dry as it is, meafures fifteen feet long by more 

 than one in breadth. Doubtlefs others of flill larger dimenfions have exiftence. I am 

 indebted for thefe ikins, and various other natural curiofities to the Jefuits of Cayenne, 

 Mr. de Lille Adam commiflary of the navy, Mr. Arthur King's phyfician, and feveral 

 of the officers belonging to the garrifon. 



The worm called by the Maynas, Suglacuru ; and at Cayenne, Macaque ; grows 

 in the flefh of men and animals to the fize of a bean, and occafions intolerable an- 

 guifh. I defigned the only one I faw, and have the worm itfelf preferved in fpirits of 

 wine ; it is related to originate from the egg of a fpecies of gnat or mufquito, but of 

 this there is hitherto no certainty. 



Bats which fuck the blood of horfes, mules, and even men, when unfheltered from 

 them by fleeping under cover, are a torment common to moft of the hot countries of 

 America ; fome of them are of monftrous fize ; at Borja, and in various other parts 

 they have entirely deftroyed the cattle introduced by the miffionaries, and which had 

 previoufly begun to multiply. 



The variety of birds of different fpecies in the forefts of the Maraiion is ftill greater 

 than of quadrupeds, but it is generally remarked, that fcarcely any have a pleafing fong, 

 their chief recommendation being their fplendid plumage, and the diverfity of colours 

 with which they enchant the eye. Among thefe beautiful works of nature, none 

 exceed the Colibri mentioned by numerous authors, and which is common in America 

 throughout the torrid zone. Of this magnificent bird I fhall only remark, that though 

 it is generally underftood to belong to hot climates alone, I have no where feen it in 

 fuch numbers as in the gardens of Quito, the temperate climate of which is rather cool 

 than otherwife. The Toucan, the red and yellow beak of which is fo large and dif- 

 proportionate to its body ; and to whofe tongue, which refembles a long and narrow 

 quill, great virtues are afcribed ; is another bird not peculiar to this country alone. 



10 Of 



