58 TRAVELSIN 
me in the midft of my fatigues, the meaneft 
plant, by catching my fight and flopping my 
career, recalled me to that fatisfadory fen- 
timent of exiftence, which fo deferted a con- 
dition would otherwife have deftroyed, I 
ftrayed along the banks of the river, and pene- 
trated into the woods, where I killed feveral 
new fpecies of birds, which I had never before 
found. Embarrafled often in my choice, when 
I obferved many on the fame tree, I was at a 
lofs which I fhould fire at ; but, as may be 
readily conceived, I gave a preference always 
to the moft remarkable or the moft beautiful. 
But let us turn our attention to an objedl 
not lefs touching, to colours perhaps more 
brilliant and delightful. 
While occupied with birds, their melodious 
warblings, their fplendid and variegated plum- 
age, I advanced through a grove of niimofas, 
when my organs of fmell were fuddenly ftruck 
with the moft exquifite perfume. I fought, 
therefore, for the plant or flirub which afforded 
me fo delicious a pleafure. The furrounding 
air ferved me as a guide ; and the nearer I ap- 
proached to the flower, the more was I in-* 
toxicated with the fmell. I had reached the 
bankf 
