52 ON THE LUMINOSITY 



the enemy. And there was a circumstance which happened 

 very apropos in that conjuncture, namely, that most were per- 

 suaded that Cortez had brought a very powerful army, which, 

 as appeared to them, occupied most of the plain. From the 

 windows of their retreat, they discovered, at different distances, 

 some lights, which, interrupting the obscurity of the night, 

 appeared to their eyes lighted matches and troops of mus- 

 queteers, being certain insects, gusanos, like our glow-worms, 

 lucernas o noctilucas, but of greater size and splendour in that 

 hemisphere ; a fear which caused much strife among the com- 

 mon soldiers, and left those who were the most courageous, 

 doubtful. So much does fear deceive those who are cast down, 

 and so much are the least trivialities of chance inclined to 

 favour the fortunate." These are, as nearly as I can recollect, 

 Solis's words. I have translated, as well as I could, as I went 

 on, because some, or one present, prefers English to any other 

 language. 



My favourite, and almost the god of my idolatry, Humboldt, 

 has not said much that I recollect on the subject ; nor does he 

 very particularly specify the luminous genera; yet he speaks 

 of fire-flies. — " Comme emus," says he, " du pressentiment 

 d'une perte aussi douloureuse, tristes et reveurs, nous nous 

 eloignames de ce tombeau d'une peuplade entiere. C'etait par 

 une de ces nuits sereines et fraiches qui sont si ordinaires sous 

 la zone torride. La lune, entouree d'anneaux colores, brillait 

 au zenith ; elle eclairait la lisiere du brouillard, qui, comme 

 une nuage a contours fortement prononces, voilait la fleuve 

 ecumeuse. Une multitude innombrable d'insectes repandait 

 une lumiere phosphorique rougeatre sur la terre couverte de 

 plantes. Le sol resplendissait dun feu vivant, comme si les 

 astres du firmament etaient venus s'abattre sur la savane. Des 

 bumonias grimpans, des vanilles odorantes, et des banisteria a 

 fleurs d'un jaune dore, decoraient l'entree de la caverne. Au- 

 dessus, les cimes des palmiers se balancaient en fremissant. 

 C'est ainsi que s'evanouissent les generations des hommes ; 

 que s'eteint peu a peu le nom des peuples les plus celebres ! 

 mais lorsque chaque fleur de l'esprit se fletrit, lorsque les 

 ouvrages du genie createur, perissent dans les orages des 

 temps, une vie nouvelle s'elance eternellement du sein de la 

 terre. Prodigue, infatigable, la nature generatrice fait sans 

 cesse eclore les lendres boutons ct ne s'inquiete pas si, les 



