THE CHEGOE. 
243 
' The Indian and negro wenches perform the oper- 
ation of extracting chegoes with surprising skill. 
They take a pin, and, by a very slow process, they 
lay the part bare, and contrive to work quite round 
the bag which contains the chegoe and its offspring. 
As soon as this has been effected, they turn the bag 
out, whole and uninjured ; by which means none 
are left in the hole to form a new colony. 
For my own part, I never troubled these gentle 
operators ; although I have looked on many a time, 
and admired their exquisite skill, whilst they were 
fingering the toes of my acquaintance. Once, how- 
ever, I had it not in my power to be my own surgeon, 
and on that occasion, a faithful old negro performed 
the friendly office. 
I was descending the Demerara, with an inve- 
terate tertian ague ; and I was so much exhausted 
by sitting upright in the canoe, that I no sooner got 
ashore at an Indian's hut, than I lay down on the 
ground at full length. Sickness had pressed so 
heavily on me, that I was callous to the well-known 
feeling which the chegoe causes. I was quite un- 
conscious that there were nine thriving nests of 
chegoes in my back, until one was accidentally 
observed by the old negro ; and this led to the dis- 
covery of the rest. I handed him my penknife, and 
told him to start the intruders. Sick as I was, I 
wished an artist were present at the operation. 
The Indian's hut, with its scanty furniture, and bows 
and arrows hanging round ; the deep verdure of the 
adjoining forest ; the river flowing rapidly by ; my- 
self wasted to a shadow ; and the negro grinning 
R 2 
