Transcriber’s Notes
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NOTES OF A NATURALIST
IN SOUTH AMERICA
NOTES OF A NATURALIST
IN SOUTH AMERICA
BY
JOHN BALL, F.R.S., M.R.I.A., ETC.
LONDON
KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH & CO., 1, PATERNOSTER SQUARE
1887
(The rights of translation and of reproduction are reserved.)
TO
L. M.,
WHOSE SUGGESTIONS LED TO ITS TAKING SHAPE,
I DEDICATE THIS LITTLE BOOK.
A tour round the South American continent, whichwas completed in so short a time as five months, maynot appear to deserve any special record; yet I amled to hope that this little book may serve to induceothers to visit a region so abounding in sources ofenjoyment and interest. There is no part of theworld where, in the same short space of time, atraveller can view so many varied and impressiveaspects of nature; while he whose attention is mainlygiven to the progress and development of the socialcondition of mankind will find in the condition of thenumerous states of the continent, and the mannersand habits of the many different races that inhabit it,abundant material to engage his attention and excitehis interest.
Although, as the title implies, the aim of myjourney was mainly directed to the new aspects ofnature, organic and inorganic, which South Americasuperabundantly presents to the stranger, I have notthought it without interest to give in these pages theviiiimpressions as to the social and political condition ofthe different regions which I visited, suggested to anunprejudiced visitor by the daily incidents of atraveller’s life.
Those who may be tempted to undertake a tour inSouth America will find that by a judicious choice ofroute, according to the season selected for travelling,they may visit all the accessible parts of the continentwith perfect ease, and with no more risk of injury tohealth, or of bodily discomfort, than they incur in asummer excursion in Europe. The chief precautionto be observed is to make the visit to Brazil fall inthe cool and dry season, extending from mid-May toSeptember. It may also be well to mention that,while the cost of passage and expenses on board, fora journey of about 18,400 miles by sea, somewhatexceeded £170, my expenses during about ten weekson land, without any attempt at economy, did notexceed £100.
The reader may regard as superfluous the ratherfrequent references to the meteorology of the variousparts of the continent which I was able to visit. But,if he will consider the importance of the two mainelements—temperature and moisture—in regulatingthe development of organic life in past epochs, andthe influence which they now