The Kiskadee is a bird native to Guyana and often referred to in Edgar Mittelholzer's brilliant novel, The Life and Death of Sylvia (1953). The bird is so named because its cry seemed by French colonists to be enquiring: "Qu’ est ce qu’il dit?". So what did he say? This blog is about two key topics: EDGAR MITTELHOLZER (his life and his works) and ME (my encounter with Mittelholzer and tales of life in Guyana).

Monday, 24 November 2014

Richard Schomburg's Travels in British Guiana


I'm in London. It's Autumn, there's a chill in the air and russet-coloured leaves are falling. I soon discover that I love reading about Guyana from the tranquility of an armchair in the mozzie-free realms of Holland Park.   Today, I'm reading Richard Schomburg's Travels in British Guiana (1840-1844) and it looks like someone else experienced "a critter in mi knickers" scenario.

So I quote:
"As it never rains but it pours [...] another insect took possession of our privates and certain portions of the abdomen [...]. Almost every grass-blade harboured a species of Acarus [...] known by the general name of Bete Rouge which, sticking on to the person passing along, [...] give rise to an intolerable itching and burning sensation. [...] Only a person who has experienced the awful plague [...Hello!!!! that will be me then...] can have a full conception of the sufferings which of an evening convert the longed-for hammock into a real Laurentian grill [...]. And finally, in order that our hands and face should not get off Scot free these were supplied with myriads of mosquitoes."

No comments:

Post a Comment