SOUTH AMERICA. 



273 



custom ; it makes a foul mouth, and a foul place where Fourth 



Journey. 



the smoker stands : however, every nation has its whims. 



John Bull relishes stinking venison ; a Frenchman 

 depopulates whole swamps in quest of frogs ; a Dutch- 

 man's pipe is never out of his mouth ; a Russian will eat 

 tallow candles ; and the American indulges in the cigar. 

 " De gustibus non est disputandum." 



Our western brother is in possession of a country 

 replete with every thing that can contribute to the happi- 

 ness and comfort of mankind. His code of laAvs, purified it" i<iws and 



govern- 

 by experience and common sense, has fully answered the "jent. 



expectations of the public. By acting up to the true 



spirit of this code, he has reaped immense advantages 



from it. His advancement, as a nation, has been rapid 



beyond all calculation ; and, young as he is, it may be 



remarked, without any impropriety, that he is now 



actually reading a salutary lesson to the rest of the 



civilized world. 



It is but some forty years ago, that he had the dispute 



with his nurse about a dish of tea. She wanted to force 



the boy to drink it according to her own receipt. He 



said, he did not like it, and that it absolutely made him 



ill. After a good deal of sparring, she toolv up the birch 



rod, and began to whip him with an uncommon degree of 



asperity. When the poor lad found that he must either 



drink the nauseous dish of tea or be flogged to death, he 



turned upon her in self-defence; showed her to the 



2 N 



