CARICHANA.
491
cataracts. T h e little m o n k e y s which w e had carried a l o n g with us for months, were d e p o s i t e d o n the point o f o u r island. Wet b y the rains, and sensible o f the least l o w e r i n g o f the t e m p e r a t u r e , these delicate animals sent forth plaintive cries, and attracted t o the spot t w o crocodiles, t h e size and leaden c o l o u r o f which d e n o t e d their great age. T h e i r u n e x p e c t e d appearance made us reflect on the danger we had incurred b y bathing, at o u r first passing b y the mission o f A t u r e s , in the middle o f the Raudal. A f t e r l o n g waiting, the Indians at length arrived at the (dose o f d a y . T h e natural coffer-dam, b y which they had endeavoured t o descend, in order to make the circuit o f t h e island, had b e c o m e impassable, o w i n g to the shallowness o f t h e water. T h e pilot s o u g h t l o n g for a m o r e accessible passage in this labyrinth o f r o c k s a n d islands. H a p p i l y our canoe was n o t damaged, and in less than half an hour o u r instruments, provision, and animals, w e r e embarked. W e pursued o u r c o u r s e d u r i n g a part o f the n i g h t , t o pitch o u r tent again in the island o f Panumana. W e r e c o g nized with pleasure t h e spots where w e had botanized w h e n g o i n g u p the O r i n o c o . W e examined o n c e m o r e on t h e beach o f G u a c h a c o that small formation o f sandstone, w h i c h reposes directly on granite. I t s position is the same as that o f the sandstone which Burckhardt observed at the entrance o f Nubia, superimposed o n the granite o f S y e n e . We passed, w i t h o u t visiting it, t h e new mission o f San Borga, where (as w e learned with r e g r e t a few days after) the little c o l o n y o f G u a h i b o s had fled al monte, from the chimerical fear that we should carry them off, t o sell t h e m as poitos, o r slaves. A f t e r having passed the rapids o f Tabaje, and the Kaudal o f Cariven. near the m o u t h o f the great Rio M e t a , w e arrived w i t h o u t accident at Carichana. T h e missionary received us with that kind hospitality which ho e x t e n d e d t o us o n o u r first passage. T h e sky was unfavourable for astronomical o b servations ; we had obtained s o m e new ones in the t w o G r e a t C a t a r a c t s ; b u t t h e n c e , as far as the m o u t h o f the A p u r e , we were o b l i g e d t o r e n o u n c e the a t t e m p t . M . Bonpland had the satisfaction at Carichana o f dissecting a manati m o r e than nine feel long. It was a female, ami the flesh appeared t o us n o t unsavoury. 1 have s p o k e n in another place o f the