by Anonymous
CHAPTER IV.
AN ADVENTURE WITH A BEAR--AN EXTRAORDINARY ECHO--I AM ATTACKED WITH AFEVER, AND SUBSEQUENTLY DRIVEN FROM MY HUT.
"Give me, indulgent gods--with mind serene, And guiltless heart--to range the sylvan scene; No splendid poverty, no smiling care, No well-bred hate, or servile grandeur there."
I had now become a sportsman--a Nimrod--my chief delight being found inthe use of my bow and arrows. Thus armed, I ranged the forest, or laidin covert, to destroy any game which might come in my way. Mypropensity for killing, however, soon led me into a scrape, the escapefrom which nearly cost me my life; yet the lesson was thrown away onme, for it in no way abated my desire to shoot and eat the flesh ofbirds.
Early one morning I had taken my station behind a large tree, fromwhich I discharged an arrow at a mocking-bird. No sooner had the arrowquitted the string, than I descried a bear, feeding on ants' nests, andthat in a direct line between myself and the bird shot at. The arrowpassed close by his ear; it might have struck him: be this as it may,the bear instantly began to descend the tree, showing evident signs ofhis intention to revenge the insult.
Not being disposed to confront such an enemy in an angry mood, Iinstantly took to my heels; but had not proceeded far, before theshaggy monster was near overtaking me. In this extremity I ascended atree, confident of being as good a climber as Bruin was. I had,however, scarcely reached the lowest extending branch, before theenraged beast was close on me. Fortunately, I had in my flightretained possession of my stick; and as the bear had no means ofsupporting himself but by clinging to the trunk of the tree with hisclaws, I applied my staff with so much vigour to his feet, that he wasconstrained to drop to the ground, whereupon his rage was great. Hethen took a turn or two round the base of the tree to cool himself,gave a growl, and seated himself under it, fixing his eyes on me. Inthis position the disappointed monster remained, on his hind-quarters,seven hours, watching my movements; till at length, growing weary ofhis presence, and having read somewhere of the effect of the humanvoice, I cried out loudly, mentioning several names, as if calling forassistance. When speaking of the storm, I said that the thunder rolledwith ten thousand voices. The cause, however, of its multiplied tones,was reserved for this adventure to make known. As I called out, I wasutterly astonished to hear my own words repeated several times insuccession;--the bear started on his feet; and after looking round, asif in fear of an attack, took himself off at his utmost speed.
[Sidenote: An alarming echo]
Assured that I had heard human voices, I became more agitated than whenin company with the bear. It may appear anomalous; it is neverthelesstrue, that the prospect, or thought, of meeting with human beings inthese wilds, always elicited agitation, or, more properly, terror.
The joy that hope brought of my emancipation was always mixed with analloy of indefinable dread of some coming evil. I remained in the treeabout an hour after the bear had departed, continuing to amuse myselfwith the exercise of the voice, and listening to the repetitions of itssounds. At length, when assured that the bear did not contemplate arenewal of the attack, I descended from the tree, and again raised myvoice, and was again surprised to find that I had no response. Thisstruck me as very mysterious; and instead of seeking for natural causesof the phenomena, I abandoned myself to superstitious fears, andpersuaded myself that I was on enchanted ground, while my mind indulgedin endless chimeras. Every effect is preceded by a cause, was asentence I had often heard my father repeat; and as it recurred to mymemory, I again ascended the tree, and repeated the experiments,alternately, for some time, on the ground and in the tree. The resultwas always the same, the voice being reverberated when in the tree, andnot so when on the ground. Again and again. I turned the matter overin the mind, and could come to no other conclusion than that there werepersons somewhere in the neighbourhood, who could hear me from thetree, but were too far off to hear my voice when surrounded with theunderwood on the ground. I now thought it my duty to find out thepersons from whom I supposed the sounds came, and was actuallypreparing to start in search of them, when it suddenly flashed on mymind that I had heard a similar phenomenon under a bridge near my ownnative village, which the boys called an echo; yet as that gave onlyone response, or echo, I was still perplexed to make out a cause forhearing so many. This phenomenon, however, soon became a considerablesource of amusement to me, and by shifting my positions I found severalseries of echoes: in some places the reverberations were six andsevenfold, and in others they were so numerous as to run intoindistinctness. For a considerable time subsequently it was my wont,on a Sunday, to ascend a tree after my devotions, and sing a line ortwo, or a verse of a psalm which I knew, when the effect was somethinglike a number of voices in a place of worship, though the ear could notcompass the innumerable combination of reverberations. When the echowas peculiarly distinct and near, and then taken up and repeated at adistance, it conveyed to my imagination the idea of aerial spiritsanswering each other. It was thus that the astonishing multipliedreverberations of the thunder in this region were accountedfor--namely, the transmission of its sound from point to point.
[Sidenote: The honey-bear]
I saw no more of the ant-bear; but the honey-bear, which was morecommon, and a fellow-depredator of the bees' nests with myself, oftencrossed my path; and it required the exercise of much ingenuity andcaution to successfully compete with him.
In all countries where the collection of honey is made a profit,various devices have been resorted to for deterring or entrapping therugged depredators. To enumerate them all would be a digression frommy narrative. The following are, however, among other successful modesof dealing with bears who have a taste for honey.
The trees in which the bees are found the inhabitants lop close to thetrunk, up to the home of the bees, so that the bear has nothing but themain trunk to assist him in climbing. These trees they sometimes stickwith spikes, and blades of knives, with the points upwards. These,however, offer but small impediments to the bear in ascending the tree,but as he cannot descend with his head foremost, he is compelled toslide down, when the points are not so easily avoided, generallylacerating him in such a manner as to deter him from making any futureattempt to rob hives situated in trees.
The experienced bear will, however, sometimes, as he ascends the tree,break off the points, and secure himself a safe retreat. Entrappingthem is, therefore, a more successful practice.
In lopping the tree the peasants are careful to leave a branch thatextends out from the trunk above the hole where the bees haveconstructed their hive. From such a branch they suspend, with fourropes, a flat board, forming one scale of a pair, such as are commonlyused in open markets; when this is hung up it hangs pendant at adistance from the trunk of the tree. When, however, it is prepared asa trap, it is brought close to the body of the tree by means of a barkrope, upon which it is fastened over the entrance of the hive.
The bear having climbed the tree, with difficulty maintains himselfwith his claws while he commits the depredation, and is, therefore,glad to find a seat so conveniently placed for him to sit on; butseeing the entrance of the hole nearly covered with the bark-rope, heimmediately commences tearing it away, and, in so doing, liberateshimself from the tree, and becomes suspended in the air. In thissituation he sits contemplating the alternatives of remaining to bekilled when discovered, or venturing a leap to the ground; both,however, lead to the same end, as stakes are placed to receive him ontheir points, should he hazard a leap.
In cold countries, it is by no means uncommon for bears to attack humanbeings; but in forests, within the tropics, where redundant naturepours out her horn of plenty, and food is found in abundance throughoutthe year, man, if he is not himself quarrelsomely disposed, may passwithout molestation. Both the ant and the honey-hear occasionallyvisited my hut, having frequently detected them sniffing round mybarricade; but when I made my appearance, either on the roof, or inreturning from a ramble, they always walked away without m
anifestingdecided hostile intentions.
[Sidenote: The rains of Guiana]
I had now passed ten months in the forest, and had learned to dispensewith shoes, stockings, linen, and, indeed, with every kind of coveringfor the body, excepting a wrapper for the loins, which I contrived tomake out of the remaining rags collected from the worn-out habilimentsI possessed when lost to my family. I had also combated with a wetseason, and this season was now again approaching, that is, January andFebruary, when the rains fall heavily; indeed, rain is no proper termfor a fall of water in a Guiana forest. Rain conveys the idea of waterfalling in drops; there, the water comes bodily upon the earth in widesheets. And before they come, no notice is given; they send no _avantcourier_ of a few scattered drops to warn you of what is to follow;they are their own messengers. In the intervals between every suchfall, the fervid sun resumes its influence, operating with suchintensity as to effectually envelope all things in hot steam. Acontinuation of rain and excessive heat produces exuberant vegetation;and these in turn, by the exhalations of its ripeness and corruption,furnish back to the atmosphere an accumulating fund of distemperingmiasma, or cause of malignant fever.
When the destructive effects of these influences are considered, in alocality amongst the rankest productions of nature, and where in athousand places the water is pent up and sluggish,--prolific producersof reptiles and noisome vapours--nothing but a miracle, through theinterposition of Providence, could have preserved me in health so long.But my day of sickness was not to be altogether remitted, it was onlypostponed, and then inflicted in kindness, to teach me prudence, andthe necessity there was for adopting proper precautions against evilresults.
My hut, notwithstanding the complacency with which I had selected thesite, was, after all, situated in the very worst place I could havefound in the entire forest. The former rainy season had inundated themorass that lay in the rear of my dwelling, and had, indeed, threatenedme with submersion; yet I continued to remain there, as if nothing ofdanger had occurred, and the air, impregnated with the fermentations ofcollected vegetation for ages, was as healthful as that on hilly lands.It is the province of experience to calculate or anticipate results;how then could one so young as I was know that too frequently thebeauty which redundant nature presents to the eye, is but an indicationof its treachery to the constitution.
I had not then reflected on the condition on which mortals receivelife, namely, that of being associated with an inseparable companioncalled care; a companion which never quits their side till they resignup their souls.
In my isolated situation, it was natural I should seek to indulge thesentiment of friendship with such companions as the locality afforded.The interior of my hut was therefore a kind of aviary; and it was mypractice every morning to devote a couple of hours to teaching, and inthe amusement of feeding my companions; after which, I indulged, byturns, the most docile with a walk into the interior of the woodedparts of the forest. A land-tortoise had become so tame, that when, inmy rambles, I sat down to rest, I allowed him to seek his own food inthe immediate neighbourhood, and that without any fear of his wanderingfar, even if unwatched.
The rainy season had commenced about three weeks, when one morning Iarose with an intense headache, excessive thirst, and a burning skin.I hastened to the stream, drank copiously of cold water, bathed forupwards of an hour, and then returned with my usual supply of water,conveyed in a clay vessel, which I had baked in the sun. This, as weresimilar vessels, was chiefly for the use of my family of birds, &c.
I remember perfectly well, the following morning, that, as was mycustom, I caressed the whole family; and, to avoid jealous bickerings,to which some were prone, I bestowed on each an equal portion ofattention; and that subsequently I took up a tortoise and amocking-bird for my companions during a walk. I also remember, that asI reached the aperture under the roof, the rays of the sun affected mysight in a peculiar manner, and that a giddy sensation came over me;but from that moment I lost all remembrance of what followed, beingunconscious of passing circumstances; until I found myself reduced inflesh, and so weak and feeble, as to be incapable of rising from thefloor of the hut where I was lying. Under the opening, from whence Imust have fallen, lay a dead tortoise, the shell being crushed. Thesticks of which my aviary was composed were all torn asunder, and thebroken fragments strewed about the place. Several of my favouritebirds, with their necks wrung, were on the ground; the others wereabsent. The vessel in which I had brought the water was broken intopieces, and many parts of the hut exhibited proofs of an attempt havingbeen made to pull up the stakes of which it was formed. These were allevidences that I had fallen down when attempting to leave the hut,probably from giddiness or vertigo; that a violent fever hadsupervened, and in that condition I had lost my reason, and theconsequent command of my actions--whence the devastation around me, andthe debilitated state in which I found the body when reason returned.Soon after consciousness had made me sensible of my condition, I fellasleep, in which I was carried into all kinds of illusory imaginations.Among other fantasies, I dreamed that I was on the sea--walking--yetbounded on either side with rows of myrtles in full blossom, intermixedwith jessamines; and that thousands of Cupids and Fauns preceded me,strewing flowers in my way. These figures, carrying baskets, werefollowed by Zephyrs, which supplied the flowers. I was in a state ofenchantment with the scene, yet every moment suffered from the dread ofsinking into the depths of the sea, until I thought the water would nolonger support me, when I awoke in the fright of being drowned.
[Sidenote: The power of prayer]
The fever had entirely left me, and I was in a measure refreshed by thesleep I had had. I was now reflecting on the phenomena of dreams, andthe length of time the impressions they leave remain on the mind--for Istill heard the action of the water--when, after several efforts todisengage myself from the illusion, as I thought, I was roused fromimaginings to a sense of the reality of what I heard. Plash, plash,went the water against the exterior of my hut; and these sounds werecontinuous and audible, so much so as to be unmistakable. Still I wasincapable of reaching the exterior to see what was the cause. My stateof alarm and agitation may therefore be better conceived thandescribed. Too feeble to use my limbs, I had no resource but inprayer. Most sincerely did I offer the Supreme Being thanks for havingpreserved me through my illness. I then prayed, that after such amiraculous dispensation of Divine goodness, I might not be left toperish in my helplessness. I believe that no one ever prayed from theheart without acquiring some additional knowledge or strength ofpurpose. May not this be because prayer is both an inquiry of theintellect and of the affections; the one seeking for the truth, and theother for what is good? Besides, pure devotion is thought, whichimproves, at least, and helps the judgment.
After some time spent in this manner, I felt the perturbation of mymind much abated, and in a frame to contemplate steadily surroundingcircumstances, and consider how they might be best dealt with. A shorttime since, and I had looked on death as inevitable, either by drowningor starvation; now, I reflected, that if the water had been very high,it must have, ere this, penetrated my frail creation; and, if verypowerful, it would have swept the whole away without giving me anynotice whatever. It also occurred to me that I ought to have somedozen or two of cocoa-nuts and a store of honey within my reach, as Ilay on the floor.
As I had not previously, on any occasion, made a store, I could not butsee the hand of Providence directing me to prepare for my presentextremity. These supplies were placed in a hole which I had made inthe ground for their reception, being covered with a piece of bark, anda stone to keep it in its place. Fortunately, I had only to dragmyself a few yards, and take the nourishment I so much needed; althoughit was not calves'-foot jelly and port wine, yet, in my then weakstate, it proved a very gratifying refreshment.
It is not possible for me to make any rational estimate of the lengthof time I was under the influence of the fever, or of the periodemployed in sleeping during my r
ecovery. It is probable that it hadbut a short, though a violent career; but the present exigencies weretoo pressing to admit of much time being expended over the past.Plash, plash, continued the water against the hut, and the floor beganto exhibit signs of its entrance into the interior. My situation wasnow one of real peril. I made an effort to raise myself up to theopening through which I mast pass to escape, but as I had first tomount a stool formed of pieces of bark, and then to raise my bodyseveral feet with my arms, before my head could reach the aperture, Ifound my strength insufficient for the task. My distress wasconsiderably augmented by the impossibility of my taking any more restin a reclining position, as the water was rapidly covering the floor,and the probability there was of the structure giving way on a sudden,and submerging me in an instant of time. I seated myself on thebefore-mentioned stool, with my feet and legs stretched over abird-coop that had not been entirely broken up.
Singular to relate, in this position I fell into a profound sleep, withmy back against the lining of the hut; the extreme of distress,contemplated for a length of time, I believe has a tendency to producethis effect.
[Sidenote: Perils of water]
I had fallen asleep as the moon went down, about an hour aftermidnight; it was daylight when I awoke; the first object that caught myattention being the staff, on which were the notches that formed mycalendar; this was floating on the water, now a foot or more in depth.It is said drowning men catch at straws; the idea immediately cameacross my mind that, with the support of the stick, I should be enabledto effect my escape. I succeeded; and after wading about fifty yardsup to my knees in water, reached a dry spot of land, on which my firstact was to kneel, and offer up prayers of gratitude for my deliverance.As a period of unconsciousness had occasioned a breach in my calendar,and the true Sabbath was lost to me, I made the day of my deliverance aSunday, from which hereafter to reckon the days of the week.
Attenuated in frame, with weak limbs, but possessing a healthy stomach,I dragged myself to a half-natural cave, at a short distance, which Ihad previously cleared out as a place where I might find shelter fromthe heavy rains, and where I could lie in wait to kill a head of gamewithout the fatigue of hunting for it. In this retreat I lived for twodays, solely on cocoa-nuts and honey; the third, I caught an armadillo,which I dressed for dinner, and then resumed the practice of taking adessert in the afternoon, having abundance of fruit at my command.
It is one of the miseries inseparable from the condition of man, thatgood and evil are presented under different forms; misery oftenappearing to us under the mask of happiness, and prosperity under theimage of misfortune, teaching us to leave all in the hands of Him whoknows best what is good for his creatures.
I had no reason to complain, having within my reach blossoms, green andripe fruit, all on the same trees, and those in abundance throughoutthe year, new soil for their growth being constantly formed by theexuviae of the forest, which here keeps her sabbath in silence. Buteven here, in the midst of plenty, man must not be idle. "The crab,"say the negroes, "that does not leave his hole, never gets fat." As mystrength returned, my wants increased; and as animal food appeared tobe needed for the renovation of the frame, I was constantly engaged inthe pursuit of it; while, what leisure time I possessed became irksome,from the want of a domestic establishment such as I had formed in thehut.
[Sidenote: The first night in the cave]
Although my specimen of sylvan architecture was at no time more thanhalf submerged in water, and that without being broken up, I abandonedit as being unsafe as a residence. Finding myself not only more securefrom the heavy rains, but much more cool in the cave, I now began tofortify its entrance, to guard against night intrusions. In effectingthis object, the only one I kept in view while at work, I fell into theerror of neglecting to provide for the admission of sufficient air tosustain life. The first night I passed in the cave, after completingmy barricade of bark, which served the purpose of planks of deal, Icould get no rest, turning and rolling about with an uneasiness I couldin no way account for, till the morning came, when the admission of airmade me sensible of breathing with more freedom, and at once explainedthe cause of my previous uneasiness. The next day was spent in cuttingholes through the bark fence, to remedy so serious an evil as the wantof air.
Accustomed as I had been to the intimate society of birds and otheranimals, their loss was too severely felt for me to remain long withoutthem; I therefore commenced the construction of a new aviary on theoutside of the cave, with a space beneath, to confine any of the smallkind of animals which might fall into my hands. One surviving tortoisefrom the hut I had already brought into the cave. It was not longbefore the entrance to my retreat somewhat resembled the display madeby a metropolitan dealer in animals, on the pavement before the stepswhich lead to his lodgings in the cellar. Contentment is in no stationthe lot of mankind. Although my new residence had many advantages,nothing could compensate me for the loss of the security in which I hadevery morning obtained a survey of the movements of the inhabitants ofthe forest from the roof of the hut. I did not, however, indulge inidle regrets, continuing to work on in constructing snares and traps,to people my new dwelling-place; and when it happened that I wounded abird or animal, I derived a peculiar pleasure in attending to it tillits recovery was effected. When I had again collected a tolerablenumber of friends, and formed some new attachments, a catastrophehappened which occasioned me more regrets than any circumstance whichhad previously befallen me in the woods.
[Sidenote: Slaughter of the pet birds]
Early in the day I had left my family all safe and well; they were ofcourse confined, but plenty of air and light was admitted through thebars into their dwellings. I had the satisfaction of thinking theywere happy, even in their captivity; they were, however, all carriedoff at one fell swoop, and I returned only to witness the desolation ofthe scene. There is a small animal of the weasel species, having thebump of destructiveness so strongly developed, that it seeks thedestruction of all other animals that cannot defend themselves from itsattacks; it is called the crabbodaga. One of these--or there may havebeen an accomplice in the murderous business--crept between the bars ofthe cage, and killed every bird and animal I possessed, excepting amocking-bird I happened to have out with me.
None but those who have reared birds from the callow state and havegiven them a place in their affections, can appreciate my distress atthis disaster. The birds had been my companions--had dined, some ofthem, at the same table every day, and over the dessert had amused mewith their conversation, or delighted me with their music. Reflectingon this domestic tragedy, I resolved to convert the entire of theabandoned hut into one large aviary, that is, as soon as the dry seasonhad entirely freed the place from water.
I had very little difficulty in trimming sticks, and binding themtogether for fences, to confine the birds; but it was not so easy torepair the loss of attached friends, who had reposed their confidencein me, or to teach strangers an agreeable method of conversation upon agiven signal. I could now no longer give dinner-parties at home; Itherefore intruded on the entertainments given by others, for I did notenjoy my meals alone. I did not often take a meal with gregariousbirds--those who moved in flocks,--yet many of these were excellentcompanions in private; in a body they were generally too noisy andfickle in flight to be depended on, except in the morning or evening.
The birds usually called social, were my favourites; these are such aslive in pairs, but assemble in parties at certain hours of the day todine on the same tree, sing in concert for an hour, and then part asthey came, each attended by its mate. At many of these entertainmentsI was permitted to remain, without causing any surprise or confusion;but then I behaved with proper decorum, and above all, did not forgetthe manners and habits of those I visited.
Observing the monkeys to be very fond of the seeds that grew on a treecalled the _vanilla_, the Spanish name for scabbard, which the seeds ofthe plant resemble, I one day presumed to join one of thei
r parties atmeal time, and climbed a tree for that purpose, but was received sovery uncourteously, that I gave them up as incorrigible boors. Thatthey have no soul for music I have had frequent proofs while listeningto the song of the thrush in the breeding season; a period when thesebirds select an elevated spot, generally the same every day, and pourforth strains of peculiar melody. These songs the monkeys not onlydisregard, but continually interrupt with their monotonous howls.
[Sidenote: Habits of birds]
The habits of birds are very peculiar, and distinctively marked; thethrush sings to its mate, delighted with the prospect of rearing up anew progeny; the nightingale, on the contrary, only ceases to sing whenhis mate arrives to join him; being migrating birds, the male precedesthe female in making its passage from one country to another, and poursforth his notes only while waiting for the arrival of the female.
If this bird is caught and caged before he is joined by his mate, hewill continue to sing in confinement, if afterwards, he will be mute.Nothing is more remarkable in birds, or has perhaps been less noticed,than their affection for each other, and for callow birds in general.The cries from any one nest of birds will set all the old ones withinhearing into a state of extreme agitation, all flying up and downanxious to inquire what is the matter, and what assistance they canoffer. He who walks through the woods, and can imitate the cries ofyoung birds, may at all times be certain of collecting old ones aroundhim, that is, in the breeding season.
The cry of young birds in the nest is in the forest what the cry offire or murder is in a city; it alarms all the neighbourhood; and theknowledge of an enemy to their young being in the vicinity of theirhomes, is to them much the same as going to bed next door to anincendiary.
I have seen a blue jay--a very noisy and chattering bird--discover anowl sitting in his hiding-place, and immediately summon a flock of hisfeathered fraternity to his assistance. These surrounded the winking_solitaire_, and opened a fire of abuse on him that might at a distancebe mistaken for a general disturbance in Billingsgate Market. The owlopened and then shut his eyes, as if at first unconscious of themeaning of the attack, and asking, "Can it be me you mean?" He,however, was soon made sensible that he would not be suffered to remainwithin their jurisdiction; and off he went, followed by a mob of birds,who hunted him out of the bounds of their district. Clamorous as thejay is against the owl for eating young birds, he himself I havedetected in tearing the callow young out of the eggs belonging to otherbirds; yet he never fails to unite with the other feathered inhabitantsof the wood at the cry of danger.
The tender assiduities of birds in their attachments is no lessremarkable than their courage in defence of their mates and young ones.The male, solicitous to please, uses the tenderest expressions, asevinced by his manner; sits by his mate as closely as he can; caressesher with a thousand endearing movements of the body and head: sings toher his most enchanting warblings; and, as they are seated together, ifhe espies an insect more agreeable to her taste than another, he takesit up, flies to her with it, spreads his wings over her, and genteellyputs it into her mouth. And if a rival or an enemy appear, his couragein attack soon proves the ardour of his love.
[Sidenote: The mocking-bird and snake]
During incubation, the female is no less the object of his solicitude;as birds have many enemies, the males feel that it is their duty towatch over and protect their mates and young ones. I had every wakinghour opportunities of witnessing their courage, frequently seeing verysmall birds attack the black snake, darting at its head, and peckingthe eyes till they either killed or drove away that enemy to theirbrood. When these contests became doubtful, the females would leavetheir nests, and hasten to the scene of action to render their matesassistance.
The mocking-bird seldom fails to kill the snake single-handed,instantly afterwards mounting the bush, to pour forth a torrent of songin token of victory. These birds mount and descend as their songswells or dies away; at times darting up with the celerity of an arrow,as if to recover or recall the last strain of expiring melody. Whilethe mocking-bird thus exerts himself, a bystander, destitute of sight,would suppose that the whole of the feathered tribes had assembled tovie with each other in singing and in deceiving the sportsman, byimitating the birds of which he was in pursuit. Their talent atimitation is so extraordinary, that they can call the mates of almostevery other bird around them at pleasure.
The fascinating power ascribed to the black snake is an error. When asnake is discovered in the vicinity of a nest, the male bird mounts aspray, and in great agitation flutters his wings in a threateningmanner, till an opportunity offers of flying down to the attack. Inthese encounters the snake sometimes succeeds in biting the bird, andin injecting its venom, when the effect of the poison is so sudden, asto paralyse the further efforts of the latter; hence has arisen thesupposed power of fascination, and the story of birds flying into thesnake's jaws. Instances of this nature I have witnessed, and if I hadnot followed up my observations further, might have fallen into thepopular error of supposed fascination: but my experience informs me,that when the bird is said to be spellbound, it is preparing to destroyan enemy, in which encounter it generally comes off victorious.
Birds, as a class, possess as much intelligence, and more courage thanany of God's creatures lower in the scale of animals than man. Theinstincts, or the propensities and precautions of animals, as in birdsdeveloped, are as multifarious and as striking, if not more so, as inother animals, not excepting the elephant and dog.
A thrush that I caught in a trap used to catch wasps, and afterplucking the wings off to prevent their escape, pressed the abdomenwith his bill, to force out the poison of the sting before he swallowedit. I have frequently seen birds seize mice and reptiles, and afterexamination reject them. In all such cases I have found that the preythus cast aside was sickly, or infested with lice. The birds seem toreason thus: "If I take this sickly thing to my nest, I shall not onlycarry my young ones unwholesome food, but shall carry a nuisance tothem, also." Another bird I had in my aviary, would carry food thatwas too hard for his taste to his water, and there let it remain tillit was soaked to his palate.
[Sidenote: Departure from the cave]
Looking over my notched calendar, and transferring it in weeks andmonths to another stick I was suddenly struck with the length of time Ihad been shut out of society, and how wonderfully the Almighty hadpreserved me. It then occurred to me that I had not exerted myself asI ought to have done, to free myself from the intricate mazes of theforest. Then, reflecting on the regular inundations of the morass, Ithought it was probable that the waters might come from a river, or thesea; and as they had just then retired, I determined to start offimmediately, and pursue the margin to its source. Hitherto, securityat night had induced me to linger about favourite spots; I had nowsurmounted childish fears; still I was sensible of the great risk Ishould run of sleeping, night after night, in the open air; and thisreflection for a time deterred me from carrying out my plan. At lengthI thought of the gipsies I had seen in the green lanes in England, andthen set to work to manufacture a substitute for the covers they use tothrow over the hooped sticks at night, with which they were wont toform low booths. This I effected by platting and weaving long driedgrass, and when it was completed, I cut some poles of the lacaria; butstill doubting my own resolution to break up my establishment, I oneday, with a kind of spasmodic effort, liberated all my newly-collecteddomestic friends and companions, some of which accepted of freedomrather reluctantly. My attachments being thus dissolved, the followingmorning I commenced my lonely journey, on the second day of which Imade a fire near to some shallow water, and was broiling a jay I hadkilled for my supper, when the earth on which I sat began to move, andinstantly afterwards the embers were scattered about. Starting to myfeet with alarm, a crocodile about four feet long showed itself as itplunged a few yards further off into a pool of mud and water. Theplace on which I had lighted my fire, was a part of the swamp, crustedover, probabl
y, by the heat of that day's sun only. Every hour,indeed, now brought me in contact with enemies, and exposed me toprivations I had avoided by making a home in one spot. But then I hadan object to attain, and I persevered for twenty days, at the end ofwhich I had the mortification to find that I had, like many others inthe world, progressed not a step, having travelled in a circle, whichbrought me to the very threshold of my recent home. My chagrin was sopoignant, that I thought the very trees waved in derision at my folly;and the same day I set out in another direction, which proved to bedirectly south.
Every step I took informed me that I was a trespasser; the scene that Ihad quitted appeared to have been ceded to me by the inhabitants of theforest, who were willing for me to occupy it without molesting me, orexhibiting any signs of alarm; but, as I moved from place to place, allseemed in arms against me. My insatiable curiosity, too, waseverywhere offensive; nothing escaped my prying propensity, and I evenregretted that I had suffered the crocodile to escape that I might haveintercepted, had I been cool, and have driven to the land forexamination; I often, indeed, pushed my inquiries beyond the line ofprudence.
[Sidenote: An unpleasant nocturnal visitor]
One moonlight night I was favoured with a splendid view of the jaguarunder the influence of a hungry stomach, and in that state I saw himseize his prey. I had spread my matting at the lower end of a treethat had been torn up by the roots, between which I could creep andhide myself; at the other end the branches extended into a small gladeor open space; when about midnight I was awaked by a tremendous roar.Alarmed for my own safety. I crept between the roots of the tree,pulling the covering after me, and in this situation raised my head soas to look along the shaft of the fallen timber, about ten yards fromthe end of which I could distinctly discern the jaguar, pacing up anddown, in a space of not more than thirty yards. His step was quick andhurried, but so light that he appeared not to touch the ground; hisswollen and stiffened tail swept the ground, as it moved from side toside. I instantly became anxious to ascertain whether his eyes weredirected towards any particular object, and more especially in thedirection where I was hid. I had the satisfaction of seeing theirfierce glance furtively cast in every direction but towards me; indeed,I must have been invisible to him through the broken branches androots, at the distance he was from the tree, and amid the shade thatsurrounded me.
The spot he had chosen for his nocturnal promenade was, I have nodoubt, a deer track, on which he had before in all probability snatchedmany meals. His impatience evidently increased as his expectationswere delayed; he quickened, if possible, his step at every turn, tillat length he suddenly paused, and assumed a most exciting attitude.His tail for a moment stood out perfectly horizontal, in a line withhis back; making gentle sweeps, as if of immediate expectation.Suddenly he crouched on his belly, still moving his tail very gently;at length the moment arrived: he gave one roar of horrid delight, andthe next, a deer was in his jaws, and growling, he seized anddispatched it by twisting the head downwards with his paw. Finally hegave the deer a shake, as if to assure himself that life was extinct,and then, with a fling of the head threw the dead animal across hisback, and was lost in the thicket, depriving me of the satisfaction ofwitnessing his manner of finishing the repast.
Strong in my resolution to arrive if possible at the extremity of theforest, I continued to proceed, as I thought, in the same direction;but I could not travel every day, being compelled sometimes to watchthrough the night, and being frequently unable, while moving forward,to obtain a sufficiency of nutritious food. When, therefore, I metwith a convenient retreat, I stayed and refreshed myself till Iacquired strength to undertake new labours.
Some scenes would irresistibly detain me, and if any one expresssurprise that they should do so when journeying to seek the society ofmy fellow-creatures, I reply that I did not at any time abandon thehope of success; yet when the uncertainty of my course, without acompass or guide, is considered, I never had a right to be verysanguine in my expectations, use whatever efforts I might. In ajourney of such a doubtful nature, oftentimes worn down with fatigue ofbody and despair of mind, it was natural to linger on and to rest in anoasis longer than in a desert.
In a hot climate, cool retreats have peculiar charms, such as areunappreciable by those who live in cold countries. The meretopographical traveller may measure a lake, or a river, give the heightand angle of a projecting rock, describe the rush of falling watersinto an estuary, and trace the course of rivers from their rise totheir mouth, but he is unable to give the living tints of nature,together with all their form and colour.
[Sidenote: Beauties of the forest]
Neither the pen nor the pencil can describe the feelings of those whosympathize with nature in her secret homes of grandeur.
When I first entered the forest, the effect of the sublimity of thescene was astonishment, in which the beauties were lost; but assurprise wore off, these beauties, one by one, stood out to view; andoperating on the senses, produced pleasure in its highest state ofenjoyment.
In scenes where bignonias, passifloras, and a thousand other flowerspresented an unceasing display throughout the year, surrounded withbirds and insects of surpassing beauty, who, possessed of sympathy ofsoul, or an ear for the sweet sounds of nature, would not for a timeforget mortality and live in imaginary eternal bliss; for the charm ofsuch scenes is only dispelled by awakening to the wants and necessitiesof the corporeal man.
My existence was of such a nature,--one of alternate enjoyment incommuning with lonely and enchanting scenes, and of fears lest I shouldfall a sacrifice to the dangers that environed my everyday movements.Sometimes I sallied forth to face dangers, and again paused to breathe,and, for a time, escape them.
At length I reached a new scene, consisting of sand-hills, out of whichissued springs of water, uniting at a short distance, where they formeda stream, which appeared to wind over an open country. In comparisonwith my solitude in the woods, this was a cheering change; andrecollecting the geographical axiom in my school-books, that allsprings and rivers ultimately find their way into the sea, I rejoicedat the chance I had of being extricated from the labyrinth in which Ihad been so long bewildered.
[Sidenote: Following the stream]
It is the fate of mortals to see the birth of pleasure only to witnessher destruction. Her commencement is always very nearly connected withher end. The instant that gives her birth is generally the same inwhich she expires. I had not proceeded far before the waters spreadthemselves over the land, and were lost to the sight. In one or twoplaces their course terminated as if they were cut off with a knife,one edge being visible and the other in obscurity, exhibiting thephenomenon of rivers which suddenly take a subterraneous course, torise again at another point, leaving the space between perfectly dry.Being now in an open country, I ascertained that the course I hadtravelled was directly southward, or towards that part of the horizonwhich was cut by the sun's culminating, or meridian line; and thiscourse I continued to pursue. A day and a half again brought me to thestream, for, as yet, it was not entitled to be called a river. It now,however, took a direction leading into the wood, among the foliage ofwhich it was lost to the eye. The emancipation from the forest hadgiven me the greatest possible delight, I therefore could not buthesitate before I again entered it; yet it was my only certain sourceof subsistence in the open country. I suffered both from hunger andthirst. I had, therefore, no alternative but to follow the stream; andon I went, its course winding so much that I began to fear I wastraversing another circle. At length, after giving me much wearisometoil, it was lost in an impenetrable thicket of wood. I was nowconstrained to make a very considerable and extended _detour_, in thehope of again reaching its banks at some merging point. Three days Ijourneyed round an impervious mass of wood, so closely matted that Icould at no point obtain an entrance. At the end of that time, Isuddenly lighted upon the spot where I supposed the waters met in onebroad reservoir. Various tributary streams flowed into this spot,
andcontinued their meandering course for many miles. I hailed the sightof it with considerable delight, as I had begun to be fearful that Iwas about to lose sight of its course altogether.