each shore, save here and there where a hut discovered itself inhabited by free people of colour, with a rood or two of bared ground about it, or where the wood-cutter had made himself a dwelling, and cleared a few acres for pasturage. After a time even these traces of life disappeared for a while. This country had been but little explored, and afforded a rich field for the naturalist's observations; leopard, sloths, vultures, snakes, vampires, lizards, besides innumerable varieties of insects were among the inhabitants of the dense forests in which the singular vine, called the bush-rope by the wood-cutters, on account of its use in hauling out heavy timber, twisted itself sometimes as thick as a man's body round the tallest trees, rearing its head high above their tops.
It was a relief to him when he came near the habitation of an Indian, named Simon, situated on the summit of a hill. The Indians who frequented this habitation, though living in the midst of woods, bore evident marks of attention to their persons. Their hair was neatly collected, and tied up in a knot; their bodies fancifully painted red, in numerous devices. This gave them a gay and animated appearance. Some of them had on necklaces composed of the teeth of wild boars slain in the chase, many wore rings, and others had an ornament on the left arm, midway between the shoulder and the elbow. At the close of day, they regularly bathed in the river below, and the next morning seemed busy in renewing the faded colours of their faces. One day there came into the hut a form which literally might be called the wild man of the woods. On entering, he laid down a ball of wax which he had collected in the forest. His hammock was all
