56 



MEMOIR OF 



mature deliberation, without allowing myself to 

 be imposed upon by what others might have vrrit- 

 ten, and with a view of employing myself in some 

 useful occupation. T spent in these pursuits, the 

 whole of my leisure time from the year 1782 till 

 1801, making it my first object to tell the truth, 

 Avithout the least exaggeration; making myself 

 acquainted with the characters, and then noting 

 them down, with the animals under my eye. I 

 have been scrupulously careful in stating the forms 

 and colours, from having observed that they are 

 very constant. As to the habits, they are far the 

 most difficult to ascertain ; for the people of this 

 country, who are careless in every thing, almost 

 always relate fables and inferences instead of truth. 

 In this part of my work, I have given as certain 

 only what I have myself observed ; and of the infi- 

 nity of stories I have heard, I have noted down 

 only the few which appeared certain." 



Our previous pages have detailed at sufficient 

 length, the annoying circumstances which led Azara, 

 in what he considered his state of banishment, to 

 betake himself to these investigations. They were 

 commenced solely for amusement, and without any 

 thoughts of his becoming an author. At first he 

 only preserved the skins, and transmitted them to 

 Europe. But finding this unproductive of benefit, 

 he began to write out minute descriptions of each 

 as he encountered them. His mode of description 

 was original, but it soon became excellent ; and the 

 number of specimens rapidly accumulating on his 



