HINDRANCE TO OUR JOURNEY.
467
Erevato. I t is certain, however, that in the mountainous lands, b e t w e e n the sources o f the P a d a m o and the V e n t u a r i (near the sites called b y the I n d i a n s A u r i c h a p a , Ichuana, and I r i q u e ) there are m a n y spots w h e r e the climate is temperate, and where there are pasturages capable o f feeding n u m e r o u s herds o f cattle. T h e military posts w e r e very useful in preventing the incursions o f the Caribs, w h o , from time to t i m e carried off slaves, t h o u g h in very small numbers, b e t w e e n the E r e v a t o and the P a d a m o . They would have resisted the attacks o f t h e natives, if, instead of leaving t h e m isolated and solely t o the c o n t r o l o f t h e soldiery, they had b e e n formed into c o m m u n i t i e s , and g o verned like the villages o f n e o p h y t e Indians. W e left the mission o f Esmeralda on the 2 3 r d o f M a y . Without b e i n g positively ill, w e felt ourselves in a state of languor a n d weakness, caused b y t h e t o r m e n t o f i n sects, bad food, and a l o n g v o y a g e , in narrow and d a m p boats. W e did n o t g o u p t h e O r i n o c o b e y o n d t h e mouth o f the R i o G u a p o , which w e should have d o n e , i f we could have a t t e m p t e d to reach the sources o f the river. There remains a distance o f fifteen leagues from the G u a p o t o the Raudal o f the Guaharibos. A t this cataract, which is passed on a bridge o f lianas, I n d i a n s are posted armed with bows and arrows, t o p r e v e n t the whites, or those w h o c o m e fromtheir territory from advancing westward. H o w could we hope to pass a point where the c o m m a n d e r o f the Rio N e g r o , Don F r a n c i s c o Bovadilla, was stopped when, a c c o m p a n i e d b y his soldiers, he tried to penetrate b e y o n d the G e h e t t e ? * T h e carnage then made a m o n g the natives has rendered them more distrustful, and more averse t o the inhabitants o f the missions. I t m u s t b e r e m e m b e r e d that t h e O r i n o c o had hitherto offered t o g e o g r a p h e r s t w o distinct p r o b l e m s , alike important, the situation o f its sources, and the m o d e of its c o m m u n i c a t i o n with the A m a z o n . T h e latter p r o b l e m formed the o b j e c t o f t h e j o u r n e y which I have d e s c r i b e d ; with respect to the discovery o f its sources, that remains to b e done by the Spanish and P o r t u g u e s e g o v e r n m e n t s . O u r canoe was n o t ready t o receive us till near three o'clock in the afternoon. I t had been filled with i n n u * See p. 461.
2 H 2