EXCURSION ON THE RIO NEGRO. 



327 



morning was not a pleasant object to contemplate. It was 

 an enormous centipede close by my side, nearly a foot in 

 length, whose innumerable legs looked just ready for a 

 start, and whose two horns or feelers were protruded with a 

 most venomous expression. These animals are not only 

 hideous to look upon, but their bite is very painful, though 

 not dangerous. I crept softly away from my sofa without 

 disturbing my ugly neighbor, who presently fell a victim to 

 science ; being very adroitly caught under a large tumbler, 

 and consigned to a glass jar filled with alcohol. Captain 

 Faria says that centipedes are often brought on board with 

 the wood, among which they usually lie concealed, seldom 

 making their appearance, unless disturbed and driven out 

 of their hiding-place. To less noxious visitors of this kind 

 one gets soon accustomed. As I shake out my dress, I hear 

 a cold flop on the floor, and a pretty little house-lizard, 

 who has found a warm retreat in its folds, makes his 

 escape with all celerity. Cockroaches swarm everywhere, 

 and it would be a vigilant housekeeper who could keep 

 her closets free of them. Ants are the greatest nuisance 

 of all, and the bite of the fire-ant is really terrible. I 

 remember once, in Esperan^a's cottage, having hung some 

 towels to dry on the cord of my hammock ; I was about 

 to remove them, when suddenly my hand and arm 

 seemed plunged into fire. I dropped the towels as if they 

 had been hot coals, which for the moment they literally 

 seemed to be, and then I saw that my arm was covered 

 with little brown ants. Brushing them off in all haste, 

 I called Laudigari, who found an army of them passing 

 over the hammock, and out of the window, near which 

 it hung. He said they were on their way somewhere, 

 and, if left undisturbed, would be gone in an hour or 



