Catesby mentions that in North America he has seen death result from the bite of a Rattle Snake in less than two minutes; I have also heard of death taking place very shortly after the bite in Brazil, but I have never actually seen it in less than ten or twelve hours. In those cases where the poison acts so quickly, it must be so strong as to destroy the nervous energy at once. In those in which the patient lingers for one or more days, death generally takes place from inflammation and mortification of the subcutaneous cellular substance. During the course of my journeys in the interior, I met frequently with persons who had recovered from severe snake bites, but almost all of them had broken constitutions, and suffered from ulcerated limbs. From all that I have seen, I candidly confess, that I have no faith in any medicine intended to act as a specific for a snake bite, whether used internally or externally. I do not of course allude to those which are usually applied for the reduction of inflammation and fever, as under any mode of treatment they cannot be withheld. A ligature attached above the wound, and instant incisions into the wound itself, and the application of a cupping-glass, which, in the shape of a wine glass, is always at hand, are more to be depended on than any other external remedial agency. My first journey of any length into the virgin forest here, was made in company with M. Lomonosof, the Russian minister at the court of Brazil, and Mr. Heath. M. Lomonosof was desirous to witness a Tapir (_Anta_) hunt, that animal being very common on this range. It is the largest South American quadruped, but is not of greater size in the body than a calf about six months old, and it stands upon much shorter legs. We left the Fazenda about half-past six o’clock in the morning, and entered the forest at about three miles to the north of it. We were accompanied by four negroes, and took provisions with us for two days. We had also our guns and six good dogs. For the first mile and a half we had a tolerable path, leading through a forest of fine trees, with very little underwood except young palms, hundreds of which were cut down by the blacks who were clearing the way for us. In going up the valley we crossed and recrossed a small river, called the Imbuhy, several times, on the banks of which I added largely to my botanical collections. The most difficult part of our path was about half a mile which had to be cut through a thick forest of bamboos. Having accomplished this, we came upon an old track of a tapir. It was about two feet broad, well beaten, and had foot marks of the animal on it, but they were several days old. This path led us through a densely wooded part of the forest, to one which was less so, the larger trees being fewer, but instead, an abundance of shrubs and large herbaceous plants. We here came upon several paths, which we found led to a deep pool in the river, and evidently a place which the tapir