h of a tree.

Some years ago I went to the river Paumaron with a Scotch gentleman, by
name Tarbet. Next morning I heard him muttering in his hammock, and now
and then letting fall an imprecation or two, just about the time he
ought to have been saying his morning prayers. "What is the matter,
sir," I said, softly; "is anything amiss?" "What's the matter?" answered
he surlily; "why, the vampires have been sucking me to death."

As soon as there was light enough. I went to his hammock, and saw it
much stained with blood. "There, see how these infernal imps have been
drawing my life's blood," said he, thrusting a foot out of the hammock.
The vampire had tapped his great toe; there was a wound somewhat less
than that made by a leech; the blood was still oozing from it. I
conjectured he might have lost from ten to twelve ounces of blood.

I had often wished to have been once sucked by the vampire, in order
that I might have it in my power to say it had really happened to me.
There can be no pain in the operation, for the patient is always asleep
when the vampire is sucking him; and as for the loss of a few ounces of
blood, that would be a trifle in the long run. Many a night have I slept
with my foot out of the hammock to tempt this winged surgeon, expecting
that he would be there; but it was all in vain; the vampire never sucked
me, and I could never account for his not doing so, for we were
inhabitants of the same loft for months together.

Let us now forget for awhile the quadrupeds and other animals, and take
a glance at the native Indians of these forests. There are five
principal tribes in Demerara, commonly known by the name of Warow,
Arowack, Acoway, Carib, and Macoushi. They live in small hamlets
consisting never of more than twelve huts. These huts are always in the
forest near a river. They are open on all sides (except those of the
Macoushi) and covered with a species of palm-leaf.

Both men and women are unclothed. They are a very clean people, and wash
in the river at least twice a day. They have very few diseases. I never
saw an idiot among their number. Their women never perish at childbirth,
owing no doubt to their never wearing stays. They are very jealous of
their liberty, and much attached to their own mode of living. Some
Indians who have accompanied white men to Europe, on returning to their
own land, have thrown off their clothes, and gone back into the forests.

Let us now return to natural histo