46

• HE spoke, and ere the swift-wing’d zumbadore¹
• The mountain-desert startl’d with his hum;
• Ere fire-flies trimm’d their vital lamps; and ere
• Dun Evening trod on rapid Twilight’s heel: [645]
• His knell was rung;——

• And all the Cane-lands wept their father lost.

• MUSE, yet awhile indulge my rapid course;

• And I’ll unharness, soon, the foaming steeds.

• IF Jove descend, propitious to thy vows, [650]
• In frequent floods of rain; successive crops
• Of weeds will spring. Nor venture to repine,
• Tho’ oft their toil thy little gang renew;
• Their toil tenfold the melting heavens repay:
• For soon thy plants will magnitude acquire, [655]

VER. 642. and ere the swift-wing’d zumbadore,] This bird, which is one of the largest and swiftest known, is only seen at night, or rather heard; for it makes a hideous humming noise (whence its name) on the desert tops of the Andes. See Ulloa’s Voyage to South-America. It is also called Condor. Its wings, when expanded, have been known to exceed sixteen feet from tip to tip. See Phil. Trans. Nº 208.²

VER. 644. Ere fire-flies] This surprising insect is frequent in Guadaloupe, &c. and all the warmer parts of America. There are none of them in the English Caribbee, or Virgin-Islands.³

VER. 645. on rapid Twilight’s heel:] There is little or no twilight in the West-Indies. All the year round it is dark before eight at night. The dawn is equally short.

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