SOUTH AMERICA. 105 



rains, would expose preserved specimens to almost 8ECOND 

 certain damage. The journey to Maranham by - 

 land, would take at least forty days. The route 

 was not wild enough to engage the attention of 

 an explorer, or civilized enough to afford common 

 comforts to a traveller. By sea there were no 

 opportunities, except slave ships. As the trans- 

 porting poor negroes from port to port for sale 

 pays well in Brazil, the ships' decks are crowded 

 with them. This would not do. 



Excuse here, benevolent reader, a small tribute 

 of gratitude to an Irish family, whose urbanity 

 and goodness have long gained it the esteem and 

 respect of all ranks in Pernambuco. The kind- 

 ness and attention I received from Dennis Kearney, 

 Esq. and his amiable lady, will be remembered 

 with gratitude to my dying day. 



After wishing farewell to this hospitable family, Embark* 

 I embarked on board a Portuguese brig, with enne. 

 poor accommodations, for Cayenne in Guiana. 

 The most eligible bed-room was the top of a hen- 

 coop on deck. Even here, an unsavoury little 

 beast, called bug, was neither shy nor deficient in 

 appetite. 



The Portuguese seamen are famed for catching 

 fish. One evening, under the line, four sharks 

 made their appearance in the wake of the vessel. 

 The sailors caught them all. 



On the fourteenth day after leaving Pernam- 

 buco, the brig cast anchor off the island of 



