SOUTH AMERICA. 
143 
which the law commonly denominates an ejectment, third 
But here, neither the frogs nor serpents were ill-- 
treated; they sallied forth, without buffet or rebuke, 
to choose their place of residence; the world was 
all before them. The owls went away of their own 
accord, preferring to retire to a hollow tree rather 
than to associate with their new landlord. The bats 
and vampires staid with me, and went in and out as 
usual. 
It was upon this hill in former days that I first 
tried to teach John, the black slave of my friend 
Mr. Edmonstone, the proper way to do birds. But 
John had poor abilities, and it required much time 
and patience to drive any thing into him. Some 
years after this his master took him to Scotland, 
where, becoming free, John left him, and got em¬ 
ployed in the Glasgow, and then the Edinburgh 
museum. Mr. Robert Edmonstone, nephew to the 
above gentleman, had a fine mulatto, capable of 
learning any thing. He requested me to teach him 
the art. I did so. He was docile and active, and 
was with me all the time in the forest; I left him 
there to keep up this new art of preserving birds, 
and to communicate it to others. Here then I fixed 
my head quarters, in the ruins of this once gay and 
hospitable house. Close by, in a little hut, which, 
in times long past, had served for a store to keep 
provisions in, there lived a coloured man and his 
wife, by name Backer. Many a kind turn they did 
to me; and I was more than once a service to them 
and their children, by bringing to their relief in time 
