EXPEDITION TO SURINAM. 259 



fo found was my fleep, that the fentinel was obliged to c H A P. 

 fhake me three or four times by the fhoulder. I then ^^J^^ 

 ftarted up, denying the charge ; but Fourgeoud himfelf, 

 fitting upright in his hammock, now fwore, in a tremen- 

 dous voice, that he was determined to bang and quarter 

 whoever flaould dare to difobey his orders, the dark and 

 gloomy woods refounding with his bellowing threats. A 

 deadly filence fucceeded this ftorm throughout the camp, 

 till I happened to break it, by burfting out into an im- 

 moderate fit of laughter, in which I was inftantly accom- 

 panied by fo many others, that he began to roar like 

 thunder, without being able to diflinguifli one perfon's 

 voice from another* In this mufic he was feconded by a 

 large toad, called here the ptpa, to which monfter he ac^ 

 tually gave flielter in his hut, and which kept croaking 

 every night, with fuch a voice as could only be exceeded 

 by Fourgeoud himfelf, or by that of his countryman, a 

 SwilTerland bear. Morpheus I now invoked to befriend 

 me again, but to no purpofe, fuch was the impreffion 

 which thefe feveral roarings had left on my mind ; — and 

 in this gloomy temper I fliall defcribe this hateful gloomy 

 animal, the coloneTs dear companion, -ciz. pipa, the 

 largeft of all the toads in South America, if not in the 

 world. 



The pipa is an animal fappofed by fome to partake of 

 both the nature of the frog and the toad. It is the moft 

 hideous of all creatures upon earth, covered over with a 

 dark brown fcrophnlous ikin, very uneven, and marked 

 with irregular black fpots ; the hinder feet of the crea- 



VoL. I. L 1 2 tore 



