182 
THE UPPER AMAZONS. 
Chap. III. 
following my pursuit in the same peaceful, regular way 
as a Naturalist might do in a European village. For 
many weeks in succession my journal records little more 
than the notes made on my daily captures. I had a 
dry and spacious cottage, the principal room of which 
was made a workshop and study ; here a large table 
was placed, and my little library of reference arranged 
on shelves in rough wooden boxes. Cages for drying 
specimens were suspended from the rafters by cords 
well anointed, to prevent ants from descending, with 
a bitter vegetable oil : rats and mice were kept from 
them by inverted cnyas, placed half-way down the cords. 
I always kept on hand a large portion of my private 
collection, which contained a pair of each species and 
variety, for the sake of comparing the old with the new 
acquisitions. My cottage was whitewashed inside and 
out about once a year by the proprietor, a native trader ; 
the floor was of earth ; the ventilation was perfect, for 
the outside air, and sometimes the rain as well, entered 
freely through gaps at the top of the walls under the 
eaves and through wide crevices in the doorways. Rude 
as the dwelling was, I look back with pleasure on the 
many happy months I spent in it. I rose generally 
with the sun, when the grassy streets were wet with dew, 
and walked down to the river to bathe : five or six 
hours of every morning were spent in collecting in 
the forest, whose borders lay only five minutes' walk 
from my house : the hot hours of the afternoon, between 
three and six o'clock, and the rainy days, were occupied 
in preparing and ticketing the specimens, making notes, 
dissecting, and drawing. I frequently had short rambles 
