THE CHEGOE. 



24S 



The Indian and negro wenches perform the oper- 

 ation of extracting chegoes with surprising skilL 

 They take a pin, and, by a very slow process, they 

 lay the part bare, and contrive to work quite round 

 the bag which contains the chegoe and its offspring. 

 As soon as this has been effected, they turn the bag 

 out, whole and uninjured ; by which means none 

 are left in the hole to form a new colony. 



For my own part, I never troubled these gentle 

 operators ; although I have looked on many a time, 

 and admired their exquisite skill, whilst they were 

 fingering the toes of my acquaintance. Once, how- 

 ever, I had it not in my power to be my own surgeon, 

 and on that occasion, a faithful old negro performed 

 the friendly office. 



I was descending the Demerara, with an inve- 

 terate tertian ague ; and I was so much exhausted 

 by sitting upright in the canoe, that I no sooner got 

 ashore at an Indian's hut, than I lay down on the 

 ground at full length. Sickness had pressed so 

 heavily on me, that I was callous to the well-known 

 feeling which the chegoe causes. I was quite un- 

 conscious that there were nine thriving nests of 

 chegoes in my back, until one was accidentally 

 observed by the old negro ; and this led to the dis- 

 covery of the rest. I handed him my penknife, and 

 told him to start the intruders. Sick as I was, I 

 wished an artist were present at the operation. 

 The Indian's hut, with its scanty furniture, and bows 

 and arrows hanging round ; the deep verdure of the 

 adjoining forest ; the river flowing rapidly by ; my- 

 self wasted to a shadow ; and the negro grinning 

 R 2 



