Rough notes of a journey through the wilderness, from Trinidad to Pará, Brazil, by way of the great cataracts of the Orinoco, Atabapo, and rio Negro ...

Front matter

(lass J :_c,.o Book, \aU& v

ROUGH NOTES

OF A

Chapter I. Page

Starting. — -Effects of a hurricane. — Night rainbow. — Antigua. — St. Lucia. — Grenada. — Port of Spain. — The lancha at last. — Mosquitoes. — Cedras Point. — Guarrauno Indians. — My crew. — The rushes ...... 1

Chapter II

Cutipita. — The main river. — Old Guayana. — Las Tablas. — Black rocks. — Coast scenery. — Angostura. — Incidental birds. — Winged ants. — Difficulties in the way. — Rogers's mishap. — Caribs. — A desperate convict. — My experience of landladies. — American emigrants. — Progress up the Orinoco. — Birds. — Maripa. — The savannahs. — Aripao. — Ventura. — Storms . . . . . . .12

X

CONTENTS.

Chapter III. Page

Mura raudales. — Piritu raudales. — Chapparo. — Sarapia. — Taparitos. — Forest-trees. — The Guangomo. — The Nicare stream. — Macaws. — Venezuelan thieves. — A temporal. — Spring at Angostura. — A push for the Amazon . .32

Chapter IV

Iguana Camp. — Watkins. — My costume. — Beetles. — Inconveniences of the rainy season. — Creole importunity — Ramon's shooting. — Purney . — Apure lancha. — Impressions of the scenery. — Caribee-fish.- — Squalls. — Rogers's escape. — Mount Caycara. — Rio Cuchivero. — Travellers' fare. — Camping on a rock. — Zancudos again. — Zamora vultures. — A sudden squall. — Fever. — My Indian friend Cumane. — Mata-mata. — Senor Castro's lancha . . 44

Chapter V

Jovito Hill. — Paruro Indiaus. — Scenery. — Guahibos. — Indian tongues. — An old mission.— The Cateniapo. — The voice of the raudales. — Capuchin monkey. — Senor Castro.— Indian sepulchre. — The Atures savannahs. — Different tribes of Indians. — River scenery. — The padre of San Fernando de Atabapo. — El Governador's mis-rule. — Orinoco palms. — Pedro Level. — Search for ciringa . .65

Chapter VI

A moonlight start. — Peculiarities of the South American forest. — Santa Barbara. — Mount Yapacani. — A snake adventure. — Senor Hernandez. — San Fernando. — Senor Lanches. — Caricia. — Ciringa trees. — Forest sounds and sights in the creek. — Commencing operations. — My forces. — Bush-ropes. — Different species of monkeys. — Christmas

CONTENTS.

XI fare in the woods. — The red mosquitoes. — Merced Gil. — Balenton. — Curious rocks. — El rey de las Zamoras. — Marquiritare Indians. — Native manufactures. — Roja. — Sickness. — The little pale man of the forest. — Merced Gil's hospitality. — A sloth ....... 83

Chapter VII

Increase of rain. — A visitor. — No ammunition. — A new kind of food. — A ravo pilado. — Forest life. — Semi-starvation. — Abandoning my rancho.^ — San Fernando de Atabapo. — A change in the government. — Return of illness. — Vegetation on the banks. — The Pimichin. — Senor Level . .107

Chapter VIII

Maroa and its vicinity. — Dull lives. — Creole laziness. — How things are managed. — Level and his family. — Perritos. — Venezuelans. — Senora Delfina. — Indian superstitions. — Native drinks. — Palms. — Lancha building. — San Carlos. — Cucay. — Down the raudales. — San Gabriel. — Future of Brazil. — Tobacco. — Sitios. — The Branco. — A violent temporal. — The highlands of the Branco. — Return to civilization. — Hints for emigrants. — The last of Level 123

Part II

A JOURNEY among the WOOLWA or SOUMOO INDIANS of Central America.

Chapter I Page

Impressions of St. Lucia. — Flying fish. — Grey Town. — The woods. — The town and its inhabitants. — A Moravian schooner. — " Crook Crook." — Monkey Point, Blewfields Bluff, and Cassada Cay. — William Henry Clarence. — The Moskito Royal Family. — Mr. and Mrs. Liindberg. — The Government. — Blewfields Compulsory Christianity. — A curious animal. — Birds. . . . . .143

Chapter II

The Woolwa river. — Teribio and his companions. — Sugar-cane. — Effects of the hurricane. — Plantations. — Supper and conversation. — Arrival at Kissalala. — An Indian lodge. — My reception. — The Woolwa and their habits. — Their kindness. — Every-day life. — Insect pests. — Birds round the lodge. — Reflections. — Rain. — Spiders and flies.— Ants. — Teribio' s royal guests. — Freshwater and his brother. — Grinding corn. — A tragedy. — Indian dogs. — My telescope. — The calabash. — A white falcon. — Canoes. — Indian ways. — A dory from Blewfields. — Alone at Kissalala. — Fishing. — Temple's narrative. — The howler. — A storm. — The Mishla feast. — Company costume . . . .154

CONTENTS.

Xlll

Chapter III. Page

Starting for the Rama branch. — Frogs. — Comparisons of scenery. — Precautions in making a fire. — Alligators and dogs. — Assan-darkna. — San Bias Indians. — Christmas week. — Illness. — Indian good breeding. — A favourite nook.— Birds 193

Chapter IV

Temple's explanation. — Cholera. — A Woolwa tragedy. — Panic. — Flight from Kissalala. — An ocelot. — Teribio's little daughter. — Unromantic Indian marriages. — Birds. — A settlement. — Woukee. — Difficult pedestrianism. — Woolwa honesty. — Temple becomes discontented. — Shag and darters. — The barber's pole. — Bird and animal life. — A Karkee. — Garra-patas. — An Indian Adonis. — Kaka. — Peculiarities of the scenery . . . . . .205

Chapter V

Starting for Consuelo. — The Peak of Pena Blanca. — Native politeness. — An Englishman at home. — The Chontales mines. — Trustful disposition of the Woolwa. — A Spanish murder. — Spanish thievery. — Captain Pirn. — Speculations concerning the Woolwa . . . . . .224

Chapter VI

Return to the coast. — Losing my way. — Personal appearance of the Woolwa. — Indian bird-catchers. — An Indian mother. — Woukee deserted. — Wild fig-tree. — Indian canoe-men. — Curious rocks. — The Kisscadee. — Victim of a puma. — Kissalala' s desolation. — Rocks on the Rusewass. — Iguana eggs. — Freshwater turtle. — Temple's plantation 236

XIV

CONTENTS.

Chapter VII. Page

Continuation of journey to Blewfields. — Aspect of the country. — Aground. — The Mission-house again. — The Blewfields scholars. — Mrs. Crawford's thoughtfulness. — Dry weather. — Indian antiquities. — A new missionary. — Jaguars. — An old lady's umbrella. — Yellow- tails. — Cookra Point. — The Half-yearly Congress. — Excitement against the Nicaraguan encroachment. — Cassada Cay. — Magdala. — Cookra Indians. — Hawl-over. — Christmas observances . . 248

Chapter VIII

A prayer-meeting at Hawl-over. — Advice for artistic travellers. — The top-knot chick. — Ramon g. — Congregation at the Mission-services. — Former luxuriance of the cocoa-nut. — Rain storm. — Old Fox. — Birds. — The snook-fish, — A warry hunt. — Quash . . . . . . .262

Chapter IX

The old Soukier. — Jiggers. — Appearance of the mangrove trees. — My Woukee bittern. — Turtle. — The brown pelican. — Mr. Lane. — Visit to Rama Cay. — An energetic pastor. — The Rama Indians. — Starting for Grey Town. — Fellowpassengers. — Temple's brother. — A child's funeral. — Hotel expenses. — Aspenwall. — News of Captain Pirn. — Home . 27 5

Report on the Industrial Classes in the Provinces of Para and

Amazonas, Brazil, 16th September, 1870 . . . 291

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

PAGE

CIRINGA TREE (INDIA-RUBBER) — Frontispiece.

SANTA LUCIA ..... 3

SUNRISE, ORINOCO ..... 6

MANRICHE PALM . . . . # 8

MOONRISE, ORINOCO . . . . .14

ARIGUA VILLAGE, UPPER CAURA ... 32

INTERIOR OF AN ARIGUA LODGE, UPPER CAURA . 38

MY RANCHO DURING THE RUBBER SEASON, CARICIA,

UPPER CAURA ..... 90

ORINOCO BELOW THE MOUTH OF THE CONUCONUMO . 102

OUR FIRST (TEMPORARY) HOUSE, NEAR SANTAREM 138

SOUMOO OR WOOLWA INDIANS DESCENDING A RAPID

IN A PITPAN, CENTRAL AMERICA . . .160

SOUMOO OR WOOLWA INDIAN, BLEWFIELDS RIVER,

CENTRAL AMERICA . . . . 237

RITEPOORA, MOSKITO VILLAGE, PEARL CAY LAGOON . 260

RAMONG, A WOOLWA .... 264

LEAF AND FRUIT OF THE CIRINGA TREE (INDIA-RUBBER),

SIZE OF LIFE ..... 295

NEAR SANTAREM, PARA, BRAZIL . . . 298

EOUGH NOTES

OF A

JOURNEY THROUGH THE WILDERNESS,

FROM TRINIDAD TO PARA, BRAZIL.

PART I.

ROUGH NOTES of a JOURNEY through the WILDERNESS, from Trinidad to Para, Brazil, by way of the great Cataracts of the Orinoco, Atabapo, and Rio Negro*

Chapter I

New Year's Eve, 1869, we lay at St. Thomas's and witnessed a curious effect in the sky : a rainbow r at night, caused by the moon-rays falling on a raincloud. On New Year's morning we steamed from the harbour, the shore of which and the neighbouring cays were still strewn with the hulks, wrecks, and other debris of the previous year's hurricane and earthquake, although now all seemed bathed in an atmosphere of undisturbed tranquillity. The Royal West India Mail ships in these latitudes are manned by blacks ; it appeared quite natural to be again on the deck of the old " Tamar," watching the dusky forms of the crew as they lounged or romped about the forecastle, like so many monkeys.

B

A JOURNEY THROUGH THE WILDERNESS.

Leaving the island of Santa Cruz on our starboard quarter, we sped along against a head wind. Some time after I had turned in, I was aroused by the report of the signal-gun, fired right over the port of my cabin : jumping into my slippers, I found we had arrived off St. Kitt's. A good many vessels lay in the roadstead ; and what appeared to be a town, slept on the lowland betwixt the water and the mountainous backbone of the island, over which rolled heavy manes of moon-lit cloud. The night was marked by a very beautiful, but here, not uncommon phenomenon; the top of each fleecy cloud was tinged with prismatic colours as it passed the disc of the moon. Next morning the sea-girt rock called Rodonda met our view ; then Montserrat ; and we coasted Antigua until we came to in the lovely covelike entrance to the English harbour, with its crystalline water ; there we landed mails. In the afternoon, looming suddenly through a mist of luke-warm rain, we saw the forest-covered coast of Guadaloupe, and I managed, as usual, to take a few rough sketches at any point of interest. The scenery was truly magnificent. Leaving at midnight, we proceeded to land mails at the Island of Dominica, from whence the gentle land-breeze wafted us that delightful fragrance peculiar to the tropical forests.

January 3rd. — Martinique by daybreak. We came to St. Lucia before noon, entering the beautiful harbour to remain the greater part of the day. When we were about to get under weigh, three masts, with long black spars, were visible, rounding the promontory, and a large war-snip swept majestically across the narrow outlet : she proved to be the " Royal Alfred," bearing the pennant of the Admiral of the West India station. We were, of course, boarded for mails, papers, &c. What a difference there is in the appearance of the boat's crew from an English man-of-war, on a foreign station, to the sailors belonging to any other power!

, St. Lucia was my first vision of the tropics on my way to Central America. I was then enchanted ; and though I have seen so much since the commencement of my travels, this isle still seems, above all places, to be transcendent in beauty ; the very rocks are robed in the deepest green. Strangely enough, we rounded the S.AV. end again (where stand the giant Pitons), at sunset, the same hour as on my introductory visit : these peaks rise abruptly from the sea to a height of 4,000 feet.

On the 4th we lay all day at Grenada, taking in coal, which gave any of the passengers so inclined a good opportunity for a run ashore. The quaint, clean little town is very ancient and picturesque ; it is well situated in a fine bay, and, for the most part, on a small peninsula therein. In the morning we crossed the roughly -paved streets, ascending the side of the hill by a winding, but evenly cut, military road. The view from an old fort at the summit was worth the journey. In the afternoon we skirted the bay through thickets of mimosa and mangoe, interspersed with coco and other palms. I managed to have 3, swim ; but coming unexpectedly upon a shallow covered with sea-hedgehogs, I wounded my knee rather painfully.

We had on board a recruiter of the 4th West India Regiment, a very fine specimen of a West Indian soldier; his uniform excellently suited the exigencies of the climate, resembling that of the French Turcos. He might have passed for one of that dashing fraternity in Paris.

On reaching Trinidad I determined to deposit my baggage at the Custom-House by the water side, in order to be ready at the next opportunity for pushing on to the main.

I found that the steamer did not set out for Ciudad Bolivar before the 28th; and therefore, not desiring to remain stationary for such a length of time, I looked anxiously for a lancha or canoe, or anything in the shipping line that would answer my purpose, bound up the Orinoco.

9th. — I took Rogers (a young Englishman who accompanied me) away behind the town across the country, to try his powers of locomotion and hardihood, knowing that a somewhat fatiguing walk lay before us. We gained the summit of a hill towards the north, where a most beautiful view of the flat coast and the northern mountains was spread beneath us. I think that any companion was duly impressed that travels such as we had entered upon would be no light pastime for either of us.

Mr. Budge, of Port of Spain, kindly placed his cool little cottage at my disposal. I was glad of this excuse to " clear out" of the Royal Hotel, as I found hotel life here, of necessity, expensive.

The town of Port of Spain, although not prepossessing from the water, is well laid out. The large number of East Indian coolies employed on the neighbouring cacao and sugar estates, give the streets something of an Eastern character : the town population is 25,000 ; and many more white faces are seen than in the other islands we touched at on our way.

Besides the conventional West Indian negro and the coolies, a sprinkling of Chinese is observable amongst the inhabitants ; and I believe that the whole island population is some 90,000. I walked to St. Joseph's, the site of the old Spanish capital San Jose dc Oruria ; and, in company with Mr. Budge, visited the valley of Diego Martin.

On the 11th my patience was rewarded ; a small vessel turned up bound for the required destination; so I at once engaged with its captain to convey Rogers and myself as far as Barrancas, and thence to Las Tablas, near the mouth of the Caroni tributary. We hoped to arrive in eight days.

Next day we left Port of Spain, and El Capitan ran the little craft up a creek to take in provisions. We encamped in a mangrove swamp, no very delectable situation ; for no sooner had the sun disappeared, than we were beset by innumerable mosquitos and sand-flies. The latter insects, though of the minutest proportions, cause much irritation of

A JOURNEY THROUGH THE WILDERNESS.

the skin ; and aided in their attacks by some fullgrown trumpeting mosquitos, they rendered night hideous, and sleep quite out of the question. However, every disagreeable must come to an end, and so did ours at last : we struggled with difficulty out of the black mud, and, provisions on board, floated beyond the Chowan, as the detestable place is called.

Along the Trinidad coast, past the neighbourhood of the famous pitch-lake, the woods began to assume the primeval type. Cedras Point was rounded in the afternoon : the verdant green with which it is draped forms a peculiarly striking contrast to its own red colouring.

The complexion of the mighty Orinoco here tinges the water with yellow.

We passed the night at Cedras, swinging at anchor near the sandy shore.

13th.— We left behind us some surf- worn sandstone rocks, covered with pelicans, and stood across the gulf, beyond the long reef designated " The Soldier"; coming upon the well- defined line where the greener water of the sea is borne back by the yellow tide of the Orinoco. There was little breeze, and so swelteringly hot in our open boat, it was determined to gain the delta of the Orinoco by the Pedernales channel. The sand-spits round the mouth were bright with scarlet ibis, egrets, &c. There are a few clearings just inside, and here we saw the Warraw or Guarrauno Indians (the tribe indigenous to these delta lands), in their

A JOURNEY THROUGH THE WILDERNESS.

"curiaras," or canoes. As we advanced, channels opened out on every side, cutting the deep green mangrove woods into islands of various dimensions. It was evening, and as the sun dipped, macaws in pairs, and parrots in flocks, sociably chattering, wended their way to favourite roosts.

At dark the tide turned, and ran out so strongly, that we were obliged to make fast to the bushes, and wait for the flow.

14th. — Now and then we encountered a curiara; but as soon as our boat was perceived by its Guarrauno freight, they made off, paddling as for dear life, vanishing up some friendly creek, amidst the dense thickets. This race has no doubt been badly treated by the Spaniards; kidnapped, and carried to work far away, not knowing whither, by armed forces. They are believed to be very numerous, but, owing to bad treatment, are very shy and difficult to approach. As well as the delta lands of the Orinoco, they inhabit the low coast between this and the Pomeroon, towards the Arrawaks of the Demerara; living generally far back in the swamps, where they lift simple palm-thatched lodges on high posts above the ooze. For their sustenance, they rely largely on a substance resembling sago, together with fish, which is abundant, and wild hog. In person they are short, and rather squat, probably from being so much in their canoes. In colour, they are darker than other American Indians I have seen, with the exception of the Moskitos of Central America. I was fortunate in obtaining a good subject for a sketch; the dusky individual showed great taciturnity (or indifference) during the time I kept hirn standing. These people occasionally make a trip in their curiaras to the neighbouring island of Trinidad, where they dispose of hammocks, tame birds, and other articles of Indian traffic. They also go to the British settlements on the Gruayana coast, but for the most part keep within the labyrinth of creeks and channels connecting the main estuaries of the Orinoco, forming a watery maze, the secret of which they alone are in possession of. They are said also to possess the knowledge of an ointment that is obnoxious to mosquitos, which cease to torment them after they have anointed their bodies with the valuable charm. I think there really must be some ground for the idea, for I have seen the Indian fires shining through the night in swampy localities, where we, in an unprotected state, found it impossible to obtain the least respite from the pests.

As we advanced, the palm called the Manriche became more and more abundant. The Guarrauno make from it a farinaceous substance, which forms one of their staple supports.

15th. — Last evening, and in the morning, we were favoured with regular Orinoco squalls of wind and rain ; later in the day, during our halt, I got out a strong line and some large hooks ; we soon took five fine fish, which proved excellent eating — they were something like cat-fish. Presently we began to lose the mangrove, and to see less of the to fobce< paye/ 8 slender, graceful manac palm. In Brazil it is called the Assai, and it is there much esteemed for the refreshing beverage made from its fruit.

The mosquitos of the delta are truly terrible ; they rise in clouds at night from the banks and the floating aquatic plants to prosecute their vengeance upon intruding man. Islands of these plants float up and down with the ebb and flow of the tide, filled with swarms of these plagues. The banks became higher and more habitable in aspect ; but in the afternoon the wind so freshened against us, that we made fast to a cometure tree. As a lad named Pedro was about to perform this office, he nearly ran his head against a large mapanare snake, which was asleep on a bough. The men called out to me to shoot " very bad snake: he was accordingly riddled with a charge of No. 8 shot I happened to have in readiness for small birds. This snake is in the habit of lying thus coiled on a thick branch or bush over the water. I shot many in that way afterwards, and once or twice narrowly escaped brushing them down into the canoe in our passage underneath. Our little craft, about the size of a Margate lugger, was well manned ; the crew were all excellent fellows in their way, although confirmed smugglers ; indeed, the boat was afterwards confiscated by the authorities at Angostura. Benning, the master, a Trinidad Creole, had been to England, and had seen the Crystal Palace, Thames Tunnel, and other objects of note ; Paul, a brown man from Guadaloupe, chiefly steered ;

A JOURNEY THROUGH THE WILDERNESS.

Andreas, who cooked, was a Trinidad Creole, — he had traversed the Spanish main ever since he was twelve years old, and had gone over that extraordinary bifurcation of the waters of the Orinoco with the Amazon, by means of the Cassiquiare, which runs from the upper Orinoco into the Rio Negro, or Gruariana ; lastly, Pedro, a mestizo (half-Indian), from the island of Margarita, off the north coast. The mosquitos continued to be most distressingly numerous .

16th. — The banks of the channel reminded me of the lower part of Blewfields, in Central America, but water-birds and iguana were scarce here, perhaps owing to the deep water up to the banks. There was, however, an abundance of game, but we had not leisure to seek it on shore with gun and machete. A large bird, called "Arruk," is very common : they are usually seen standing on the top of a thick bushy tree, their heads and necks ducking up and down, whilst they utter a sound like the heavy creak of an old-fashioned jmnrp. We are apt to think that the natives of South America (not aboriginal) are utterly ignorant : the men in the little craft could all read and write. I always got Pedro, the mestizo lad, to write me the native names of the fish and trees. One hardly expects to find such a }}itch of education in fellows with shirts like the rags remaining to us as relics of the Waterloo standards ! Our midday halt was chosen under the shadow of a bank somewhat more elevated than is usual in these low lands. As soon as

A JOURNEY THROUGH THE WILDERNESS.

my companions had partaken of their light meal, they severally disjoosed themselves for a snooze; not feeling similarly inclined, my eyes wandered along the bank, enjoying, half unconsciously, the grace of the motion of the wild canes, that waved gently in the immense breadth of the tropical sunlight. Soothed at last into drowsiness by the rippling sea-breeze, the soft continuous whisper of the canes seemed to lose identity with its cause, and become human. I heard words fluttering on the air, and names were murmured belonging to dear ones far away ; but anon the fairy spell was broken, for the breeze grew fresh, and the swaying of the canes became boisterous, as the men arose from their siesta to shake out the old sail again, and we once more sped on our way.

Chapter II

January 17th. — This morning we readied the first of the mongrel Spanish settlements, indicated at a distance by a few young coco trees, bread-fruit, and plantains. At this plantation, which belongs to an old coloured Trinidad man, we were hospitably entertained. Amongst the good cheer was an excellent fish, called barba de tigre. Here plantains are cultivated abundantly. We remained during the day at this place, which is called Cutipita, where we found many Spaniards in hiding, to escape from military service in the revolutionary disturbances on the savannahs of Venezuela to the north. The old Trinidad man had numerous Indians of the Gruarrauno race in his employ ; they were crushing his sugar-cane to make papalon, the moulded sugar of Venezuela, which has a ready sale at Ciudad Bolivar. The old fellow also had some uncoloured rum of very fine flavour, and he seemed to think a great deal of it.

I took a portrait sketch of one of the Indians.

19th. — We continued our course. There were now sand-spits at each bend. We passed into the

Macarco branch. The bank was well settled for this part of the country.

In the gloaming of a beautiful evening we sailed out into the main river, leaving the channels of the delta behind us. The river is here studded by four islands.

20th.— As soon as it was light we had a good view of the high lands to the south, the Isnataca range. There are so many bends and low islands, that one is not here impressed, as might be expected, by the really grand proportions of the Orinoco. During the night we coasted the largo isle of Tortola, and passed the town of Barrancas. In the dry seasons the breeze blows from the coast. We now went steadily along before it. The hills closely approach the river on the south side, at a point where there are some rocks called Morocoto. From thence to the Sorondo headland, wooded, gently undulating hills rise from the savannah lands, and appear eminently adapted for settlements ; for they are a combination of pasture and planting grounds. Cresting some large boulder rocks, and embedded in brushwood, the curious old fortified Spanish settlement, called Old Guayana, rose before us ; we noted its cottage-like houses as we sailed under it. It was emblematic of the picturesque decrepitude of the Spanish main. On the other bank the famous Llanos stretch away hundreds of miles towards Caracas, and the great savannahs of the Apure. On the Gruayana side are thick woods and occasional savannah. Wild fowl had latterly been abundant. At night we cast anchor at the so-called puerto, Las Tablas. It was a fine moonlight. Next morning I went on shore; the settlement is a wretched place, built on the top of a sloping bank of sand and rock, backed by scrubby brushwoods. It is near the mouth of the Caroni, and owes its existence to the traffic with the newly discovered and rich gold-mines of the Caratel district. Following the right bank for a considerable distance, unmixed with the turbid Orinoco, the clear dark water of the Caroni was to be distinguished. As yet I had seen or heard nothing of " the Southerners " said to be settled in this neighbourhood. Owing to the sandy nature of the soil, these woods are stunted in comparison with the forests of the other parts of tropical America. It is not until you reach the upj)er lands, which by their rising cause the rapids of the main river and its tributaries, that you meet with the true Guayana forest. In the forests of the upper Orinoco, from the cataracts of Maypures to the mouth of the Cassiquiare, I afterwards met with the most enormous trees I had ever beheld. They were usually of the kinds called by the natives Cachicamo and J asapas.

For the last two nights I had enjoyed delightful sleerj ; it was almost like an escape from u Inferno " to get clear of the mosquitos of the delta. We passed sundry rocky islets and boulders as we sailed along ; their surfaces were black and shining, from the alternate action of the sun and Orinoco water.

A JOURNEY THROUGH THE WILDERNESS.

At frequent intervals at this season long flats of sand are exposed. Some parts of the Gruayana side have quite an European appearance — one long ridge behind another, the timber apparently low and scattered. On the under side of the limbs of some trees hangs a kind of moss, which floats out on the wind like a mane.

At sunset we passed Gruarampo, a place like two rounded hills, and three islands of rock and sand. During the night we ran on a shoal, and experienced some difficulty in getting off again. Heavy rain fell after the moon had gone down ; however, wrapj)ed in my waterproof poncho, I cared little for a moderate amount of damping. In January many of the trees are bare of leaves, giving quite a dried-up look to some districts. From the rocky nature of the river beds, the water off some of the points appeared boiling. About noon we passed betwixt the shining black rocks, Eosario and Rosarila ; then a dome-shaped mass, called Conejo, which was crowned with cactus. All these rocks are alike, black and shining. I can only compare their lustre to a well-brushed fire-stove, and they give a peculiar character to the scenery of this river. We saw very few " caymans," alligators, of any size. We passed a fine, trim schooner (the first sign of trade yet seen) cautiously bearing down against the east breeze. I noticed that the top of every sandy bank near a hut was planted with "pateas," a kind of water melon.