Ch.I. south AMERICA. iit 



meat may be, the fight of them is, I think, enough 

 to make the appetite abhor them ; for, when dead, 

 they are fcalded in order to take off the hair, whence 

 the Ikin is contracted by the heat, and when tho- 

 roughly cleaned, looks perfectly white, and very 

 greatly refembles a child of about two or three years 

 of age, when crying. This refemblance is fhocking 

 to humanity, yet the fcarcity of other food in many 

 parts of America renders the flefh of thefe creatures 

 valuable; and not only the Negroes, but the Creoles 

 aud European's themfelves, make no fcruple of eat- 

 ing it. 



Nothing, in my opinion, can excel the profpeds 

 which the rivers of this country exhibit. The moft 

 fertile imagination of a painter can never equal the 

 magnificence of the rural landfcapes here drawn by 

 the pencil of nature. The groves which fhade the - 

 plains, and extend their branches to the river ; the 

 various dimenfions of the trees, which cover the emi- 

 nences ; the texture of their leaves ; the figure of 

 their fruits, and the various colours they exhibit, form 

 a moft delightful fcene, which is greatly heightened 

 by the infinite variety of creatures with which it is dir 

 verfified. The different fpecies of monkies, fkipping 

 in troops from tree to tree, hanging from the branches, 

 and in other places fix, eight, or more, of them linked 

 together, in order to pafs a river, and the dams with 

 their young on their fhoulders, throwing themfelves 

 into odd poftures, making a thoufand grimaces, will 

 perhaps appear fidlitious, to thofe who have not 

 adually feen it : but if the birds are ccnfidered, our 

 reafon for admiration will be greatly augmented. 

 For, befides thofe already mentioned (Book I. chap, 

 vii.) and w^hich, from their great abundance, feem to 

 have had their origin on the banks of this river, here 

 are a great variety of others, alfo eatable ; > as the 

 wild and royal peacock, the turtle dove, and the 

 heron. Of the latter there are four or five difix^rent 



fpecies j 



