260 N A R R A T I V E OF AN
ap. hire are webbed, and the toes longer than thofe before
L ' thus if can both fwim and leap like a. frog,-in Which it
X as
differs from other toads.; Its fizeiiis: often larger than a
common duck when plucked;« and pinioned; and Its
croaking, which takes place, generally: in the night, in-»
conceivably loud. . But what is moft remarkable in this
monfter, ?s thé manner of its gpropagation: the young
ones being hatched; till they Become tadpoles, in a kind
of watery cells on the back of the mother, in which the
émbrio’s ëxiftence ffrft commences y for on the*'back, fhe is
impregnated by the-male, and thence iffues \this»’ moft
extraordinary-birth.
Toads are hot venomous, as is ^generally imagined,,&nd
are even tameable: as, for instance, MrAwoqfei fed one
for many years, and Colonel Fourgeoud kept hisjts^a’ dór
mêftic favourite during the whole time of our Campaign
at.Wana Creek; indeed I myfelf have finée; lodged a tame
fro g .. That the laft mentioned animals are eatable as far
as their thighs, I alfo know by experience: but their tafte
is extremely infipid.
To return at once to my hammock and journal,—The
croaking of this pipa; the hammering of another, which
produces a loud and conftant found of fuckf tuc-ky'tucky from
fun-fet to fun-rife; the howling of the baboons; the hiff-
ing of the fnakes, tigers, &c,; to which add the growling
of Fourgeoud, and fometimes heavy rains into the Bargain,
made the night-very uncomfortable and gloomy indeed.
The riling fun, however, difpelled- my refentment; and
having taken, a found nap during the day, I Was as well
afteK
E X P E D I T IO N TO SURINAM. a6i
after it, and as well pleafed, as the foreft of Guiana could chap .
make me. , XI; .
On the morning of the 4th, I difeovered a couple of
fine powefas on the branches of a high tree near the
camp, and requefted liberty from the chief to fhoot one
of them, which however was bluntly refufed me, on
pretence that the enemy might hear the report of my
mufquet, though by the way, if it be not a folecifm fo
to exprefs myfelf, they knew better where we were than
we did ourlelvcs. A little after, however, a large fnake
appearing on the top of another tree, it was ordered to
be fhot immediately, whether from fear or antipathy I
know not. On the difeharge of the mufquet the animal
fell to the ground, quite alive, and Aided inftantly into a
thicket near' the magazine. Upon this occafion I had an
opportunity of remarking the uncommon intrepidity of
a foldier, who, creeping in after the reptile, brought it out
from among the brambles,, fuperftitioully pretending that
he was invulnerable to its bite. However this may be,
the fnake, which was above fix feet long, erected its head
and half its body fucceffiyely to attack him, and he as
often knocked it down with his fill, and at laft with his
fabre fevered it in two pieces, which ended the battle;
for doing which he was, regaled by Fourgeoud with a
dram of rum.
Left I fhould be accufed of introducing a word which
is probably new and unintelligible to my readers, I will
beg leave to add, that the powefa, or peacoqk-pheafant of
Vol. I. L I 3 Guiana,