1848.] 
RETURN FROM THE LAKE. 
105 
about which numbers of woodpeckers were busily at 
work. Hawks and vultures were also seen, and the 
great red-billed toucan {BJiamphastos Toco) flew by in 
an undulating course in parties of three or four. It was 
cloudy, and there was a good deal of wind ; but at this 
time of the year no rain ever falls here, so I did not 
hurry myself on that account, and, early in the afternoon, 
reached the house, rather tired, but much interested 
with my walk. I forgot to mention that in the even- 
ing, after the alligator-hunt, the Negroes sang several 
hymns, as a thanksgiving for having escaped their jaws. 
The next day all were busily employed boiling the fat 
into oil, which supplies the lamps on all Mr. C.’s estates. 
It has rather a disagreeable smell, but not worse than 
train-oil. I now went out every day with my gun about 
the campo, or to the clumps of wood called islands, on 
the banks of the small streams. The principal birds I 
procured were toucans, parrots, hawks, and buzzards, 
the red-headed manakin, and numerous small finches 
and flycatchers. The mango-trees were loaded with ripe 
fruit, and attracted many small tanagers and paroquets. 
I now ate the mango for the first time, and soon got to 
like it very much. It is not generally eaten in Para ex- 
cept by the Negroes, who seem very fond of it, to judge 
by the certainty with which every fruit disappeared the 
moment it became ripe. There seems to be scarcely an 
animal that is not fond of it, — cattle, sheep, pigs, ducks, 
and fowls, all rush to secure every one that falls. 
Soon after Christmas we had a few showers at inter- 
vals, and the grass began to grow more greenly — a sign 
that the summer was nearly at an end. Some butter- 
