210 WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA. 



attention which the weak in this world generally experience 

 from the strong, and which the law commonly denominates 

 an ejectment. But here, neither the frogs nor serpents 

 were ill-treated ; they sallied forth, without buffet or rebuke, 

 to choose their place of residence ; the world was all before 

 them. The owls went away of their own accord, prefer- 

 ring to retire to a hollow tree rather than to associate with 

 their new landlord. The bats and vampires stayed with 

 me, and went in and out as usual. 



It was upon this hill in former days that I iirst tried to 

 teach John, the black slave of my friend Mr. Edmonstone, 

 the proper way to do birds. But John had poor abilities, 

 and it required much time and patience to drive anything 

 into him. Some years after this his master took him to 

 Scotland, where, becoming free, John left him, and got em- 

 ployed in the Glasgow, and then the Edinbmgh museum 

 Mr. Eobert Edmonstone, nephew to the above gentleman, 

 had a fine mulatto capable of learning anything. He re- 

 quested me to teach him the art. I did so. He was docile 

 and active, and was with me all the time in the forest ; I 

 left him there to keep up this new art of preserving birds, 

 and to communicate it to others. Here then I fixed my 

 head-quarters, in the ruins of this once gay and hospitable 

 house. Close by, in a little hut, which in times long past 

 had served for a store to keep provisions in, there lived a 

 coloured man and his wife, by name Backer. Many a kind 

 turn they did to me ; and I was more than once of service 

 to them and their children, by bringing to their relief in 

 time of sickness what little knowledge I had acquired of 

 medicine. 



I would here, gentle reader, wish to draw thy attention, 

 for a few minutes, to physic, raiment, and diet. Shouldst 

 thou ever wander through these remote and dreary wilds, 

 forget not to carry with thee bark, laudanum, calomel, and 



