Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-26
IN THE TROPICS,
The Naturalist Must Have the Courage Of a
Hero There.

The Naturalist Must Have the Courage Of 8
Hero There.
From the Quarterly Review.
The naturalist In the tropics should have thu
courage Of hero, the enthusiasm of a marty,
and the constitution Of a horse, with the wis
dom OF the serpent and the pliability of diplo
mat; and whatever else may be inclnded in hi
outfit, he must lay in an inexhaustible stock Of
patience. None of the natives know anythinf
OF the value Of time, and they are ingenious il
inventing difficulties to make the stranger draw
his purse strings. He must risk death daily il
many shapes, since there are treacherous say
ages who mistrlst his motives and are alvayI
ready with their lances and poisoned arrows
He ships himself in frail canoes to cross storm,
estuaries that are wider than the English chan
mel or to shoot dangerous rapids. He bivouac,
by the wstch-fre, . doubtful protection ag,ins
the hungry carnivora that are proving IL
search Of prey, or he may tread upon deadly
snakes or thrust his hand into scorpions nest
He dare scarcely battle for fear Of the alliRators
and unless he keeps his eyes about him he may
run his head against a hanging hornets nest OF
blunder into q legion Of ants, who promptly
seize him.
The richest hunting grounds are the mos,
Pestilential. Decaying vegetation generates
deadly gases, miasma lies visible over the
lagoons and marsh fevers and agues follow
the course Of every water channel The oui-
nine, however carefully husbanded, gives out
at last, and then there is nothing for it bu,
resignation and stoical endurance. The ex.
ploring naturalist becomes more or less habitu-
ated to chronic il-health, and it is only the i'm
perative necessity for effort which supports
him. He is almost always on short commons
and sometimes he is starving. The forests are
full Of animal life, yet the game is shy and hard
to shoot.
Mr.. Bates tells us how after long protracted
diet Of dried fish and the farinha Of dusty
cassava -four, his soul began to loathe that light
food, and he felt an almost intolerable craving
Tor flesh. For more than eleven years he en-
dured these hardships, though health and
strength were steadily failing, and when he left
the Brazils he was literally wreck. Nor are
minor ankle ties and annoyances less Worrying,
The skins and specimens procured at great
cost must be preserved under the most irving
conditions, and are frequently sacrificed BIZ the
gross stupidity OF the natives. The treasures
must be transported to the distant seaport. and
II the cases be not carefully secured they will
assuredly be Quilted BY insects. As for Mr..
Wallace, he had the singular i'll luck to lose
the whole Of his collection by q confagratiou
at sea. Moreover. the jealous naturalist has
opportunities Of study forced upon him with
which he would very willingly dispense.
Flights of night moths extinguish the lamp OF
the nlckerlng candle by which he is striving to
write. He has learned much more than he
cares 70 know about the mosquitoes. the sand
fess, the rats and the familiar snakes which
infest his reed hut or swarm in his bed room
From head to foot he is always covered with
bites and fostering stings till his very misery
may be his salvation. Mr.. Belt, in his ''Natur-
alist in Nicaragua" congrstulates himself once
on his being SO thoroughly sucked and drained
BY the mosquitoes that the disguised blood
bumpers left him alone, because thew could
and no fresh opening for : promising pune
ture. OF course the best temper will break
down under such trials, and we remark that
tropical companions seldom come home to-
gether, unless they have wisely arranged TO
work on separate beats.