160 



WANDERINGS IN 



Third 

 Journey. 



Last con- 

 versation 

 with Sir 

 Joseph 

 Banks. 



Stuffing 

 birds and 

 quadrupeds. 



went into the canoe without it ; it was of great use in 

 starting the beasts and snakes out of the hollow trees, 

 and, in case of need, was an excellent defence. 



In 1819, I had the last conversation with Sir Joseph 

 Banks. I saw with sorrow that death was going to rob 

 us of him. We talked much of the present mode adopted 

 by all museums in stuffing quadrupeds, and condemned 

 it as being very imperfect ; still we could not find out a 

 better way ; and at last concluded, that the lips and nose 

 ought to be cut off, and replaced with wax ; it being 

 impossible to make those parts appear like life, as they 

 shrink to nothing, and render the stuffed specimens in 

 the different museums horrible to look at. The defects 

 in the legs and feet would not be quite so glaring, being 

 covered with hair. 



I had paid great attention to this subject for above 

 fourteen years ; still it would not do : however, one night, 

 while I was lying in the hammock, and harping on the 

 string on which hung all my solicitude, I hit upon the 

 proper mode by inference ; it appeared clear to me that 

 it was the only true way of going to work, and ere I 

 closed my eyes in sleep, I was able to prove to myself 

 that there could not be any other way that would answer. 

 I tried it the next day, and succeeded according to 

 expectation. 



By means of this process, which is very simple, we can 

 now give every feature back again to the animal's face, 



