NOTES ON BRAZIL. 



One of them, not yet exhausted, caused a monkey, which we had 

 on board, to exhibit a striking instance of muscular activity. The animal 

 was from Africa, and allowed to run freely about the ship. He saw the 

 bird in the rigging, climbed with cautious cunning toward it unperceived, 

 and seized without harming it. Returning to the quarter-deck, he seated 

 himself quietly upon his haunches, holding the prey loosely in his left 

 hand, while he examined and played with it. In an instant the bird 

 escaped, was completely clear of his grasp and at some distance, with 

 wings fully expanded. By a sudden spring he seized it again with his 

 right hand, and calmly reseated himself The whole transaction was so 

 instantaneous as, in the opinion of those who stood by and were observ- 

 ing him, scarcely to allow time for volition, much less to produce its 

 peculiar effects upon the muscles of the arm with such precision. He 

 had evidently learned wisdom, for he proceeded to kill the bird by press- 

 ing his thumb upon the throat ; dexterously stripped off the skin, and eat 

 the body, after having sucked the blood, and devoured the entrails, with 

 apparently superior relish. 



In another voyage we passed between Madeira and the Western 

 Islands, and about two hundred miles from any land; two wild ducks 

 approached the vessel, and flew several times close round us, but 

 were not sufficiently exhausted to be confident. The question which 

 every one asked was, whence did they come ? The nearest land, was 

 Madeira, but neither that nor any island about it, that we knew of, 

 was adapted for fresh water fowls. When they left us, they went 

 westward, and must fly at least 200 miles farther, before they could 

 find a solid resting place. Perhaps in extreme necessity, they might 

 alight upon the water; but the sea affords no nutriment suited to their 

 nature and habits. 



In this neighbourhood too, i. e. in latitude 29° N. long. 38° W., I 

 felt the greatest degree of cold which I ever experienced ; or to express 

 myself more correctly, I never knew a ship's company so susceptible 

 of the change of temperature as there. It was the 3d of April, 1816. 

 We had passed the equator on the preceding 20th of March, In our 



