206 



WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA. 



Great was the attention I received from the commander 

 of the Dee. He and his mate, Mr. Spence, took every 

 care of my collection. 



Arrives at landing, the gentlemen of the 



Liverpool. Liverpool Cnstom-house received me as an 

 old friend and acquaintance, and obligingly offered 

 their services. 



Twice before had I landed in Liverpool, and twice 

 had I reason to admire their conduct and liberality. 

 They knew I was incapable of trying to introduce any- 

 thing contraband, and they were aware that I never 

 dreamed of turning to profit the specimens I had pro- 

 cured. They considered that I had left a comfortable 

 home in quest of science ; and that I had wandered into 

 far-distant cHmes, and gone barefooted, ill clothed, and 

 ill fed, through swamps and woods, to procure speci- 

 mens, some of which had never been seen in Europe. 

 They considered that it would be difficult to fix a price 

 upon specimens which had never been bought or sold, 

 and which never were to be, as they were intended to 

 ornament my owti house. It was hard, they said, to 

 have exposed myself, for years, to danger, and then be 

 obliged to pay on return to my native land. Under 

 these considerations, they fixed a moderate duty, which 

 satisfied all parties. 



However, this last expedition ended not so. It taught 

 me how hard it is to learn the grand lesson, '^^quam 

 memento rebus in arduis, servare mentem." 



Eut my good friends in the Custom-house of Liver- 

 pool were not to blame. On the contrary, they did all 

 in their power to procure balm for me instead of rue. 

 But it would not answer. 



They appointed a very civil officer to attend me to 



