SOUTH AMERICA. 301 



them. But, unfortunately, the time had passed FOURTH 



* JOURNEY. 



away, and the seeds had fallen. 



While ranging here in the forest, we stopped 

 under an ants' nest ; and, by the dirt below, con- 

 jectured that it had got new tenants. Thinking 

 it no harm to dislodge them, " vi et armis," 

 an Indian boy ascended the tree; but, before he 

 reached the nest, out flew above a dozen vampires. 



I have formerly remarked, that I wished to The Vam- 



pire. 



have it in my power to say, that I had been 

 sucked by the vampire. I gave them many an 

 opportunity, but they always fought shy ; and 

 though they now sucked a young man of the 

 Indian breed very severely, as he was sleeping 

 in his hammock in the shed next to mine, they 

 would have nothing to do with me. His great 

 toe seemed to have all the attractions. I examined 

 it minutely as he was bathing it in the river at 

 daybreak. The midnight surgeon had made a 

 hole in it, almost of a triangular shape, and the 

 blood was then running from it apace. His 

 hammock was so defiled and stained with clotted 

 blood, that he was obliged to beg an old black 

 woman to wash it. As she was taking it down 

 to the river side, she spread it out before me, and 

 shook her head. I remarked, that I supposed 

 her own toe was too old and tough to invite the 

 Vampire-doctor to get his supper out of it ; and 

 she answered, with a grin, that doctors generally 

 preferred young people. 



