G h a P. Immediately on my arrival T took the command o f the
xxv. whoIe river, and how was once’ more tHe. Jteiocfe- p f
Comewina. I alfo built an- elevated ki imitation
o f Prince Bonnfs at Boofy-Ory, on twMveFftrong flakes £
which aerial habitation I found very neceftary, the whole
poft being almoft under water by the inundations, and by
negledt become a perfect mire-pool, while o f ray former
cottage not a veftige was to be feen. Here E found the
marines ia perfect mifery, being almoft naked, and having
fold their very fhoes for a mouthful o f frefti proyi-
fions-. Thefe grievances, however, by my labour and
interceffion with Colonel Fourgeoud, whofe favourite I
now became more and more, Were Ipeedily redrefied,
and the Hope, in a little time, appeared like a paraddfe,.
when compared with its former ftaite.
Shooting was now, as formerly, my favourite diverfion 5
and on the 4th I brought home a kind of plover, a couple
o f red^breafts, and near a dozen grafs-rjparrows.
The plover o f Guiana is the lizo o f a pigeon, its colour
a dark-brown and white, with tranfverfe bars» The
wet favannahs are full o f them, and they are delicate
eating. The red-breaft is a kind o f large bull-finch,
Svith the upper part of its body a deep chefnut; and all
the reft a Wood-colour: this is reckoned as good as an
ortolan, and abounds on ah the plantation?. The grafs-
fparrow, which I think is by feme called the anucay is a
beautiful little creature, like a paroquet; thefe birds are
perfectly green, with a white bill and red eyes. They do
j much
much damage amongft the rice and Indian corn, flying
in prodigious flocks upon the plantations.
~ At the Hope thev4,reehulusn or humming-birds, were
fb thick -among the tamarkid-tfcees, that they relerabled
a : fwarm of bees; a Lieutenant- S’W.Mder^s daily fetching
down feveral of them, by blowing ftnall peas or Indian
com through a 'hollow reed*
O f all the tropical^birds, this little creature is-particularly
worth attention, not. only on account o f its beauty,
b u t for its; diminutive fike, be ing ftoaller than the firft
joint o f a man’s finger; and-when deprived o f its feathers
not larger-than a bluetbottle fly. However, there are feveral
fpeeies, and fome twice as large. Thefe birds vary
much in their colour: in the fhade they appear generally
o f a deep Aiming green; which, by the reflection o f the
fun, produces a fplendid purple brown and azure, i The
headis credfted-With a fmall tuft o f feathers, green, black,
and gold; the tail and wings are a glofly black; the bill is
not much thicker than a pin, it is long, black, and crooked
at the end; the tongue is forked, and refembles a red filk
thread; with this they ftp the nedtar or honey from the
flowers, during which time they are ftationary, exactly
like bees, and this juice feems to be the only nourifhment
o f thefe little creatures. They often make their neft on
the leaf of a wild pine-apple,, or dwarf aloe, which is
conftruffced moftly of cotton, and not larger than the hulk,
o f a walnut; their eggs are about the ftze o f peas, and
only two in number. Madam Meriau fays, that the huin-
F f a tning