io8 A YEAR IN BRAZIL. 



There are now occasional flights of myriads of winged 

 white ants {Termites), and large scarabaeus-like beetles 

 {Copris). Our tent affords a fine dry shelter for all kinds to 

 burrow. I wish you could see us at dinner — to-night, for 

 instance — by the light of two candles, one stuck in a beer- 

 bottle, the other in a match-box ; Roberts seated in his fold- 

 ing-chair, I on my hammock ; on our laps, on napkins, my 

 enamelled plates with the usual food ; at our feet, various 

 black pots and pans taken off the fire and containing fowl, 

 onions, beans, rice, cabbage, etc. ; near the entrance our 

 swarthy cook, sitting on his heels and awaiting our orders ; 

 beside him, with hungry eyes, our two dogs, one of whom 

 has the most intellectual and thoughtful face I ever saw. 

 (Both poor brutes are suffering from the attacks of insects — 

 bernos — which raise lumps all over their bodies.) The scene 

 is completed by a cold drizzle outside, while whirring round 

 our heads continually are huge beetles, with a hum like a 

 threshing machine, and every moment they dash into our 

 faces, or the candles, or against the roof, and then fall into 

 one of the saucepans ! 



It still keeps cold, with much rain ; no deluge, but chill- 

 ing drizzle. Thermometer averages about 60° after sunset, 

 and from 70° to 120° in the daytime. 



November 13. — It is now beginning to get very warm, 

 and the sun at midday appears almost at the zenith, and 

 casts no shadows ; but we are only two degrees or so north 

 of Rio, which is almost on the Tropic of Capricorn, where 

 the sun will not arrive till the 21st of December, so we 

 may now expect three months of really hot weather. The 

 new vegetation is coming up fast, and I hardly recognize 

 some of my old picadas, after not having passed through 

 them for six weeks or so. Birds'-nests and young birds 

 are much more abundant lately, and tadpoles are getting 



