355
THE INDIAN CANOES.
b u t considerably h o t t e r than that o f the Guainia or Rio N e g r o . T h e centigrade t h e r m o m e t e r k e p t up in the day t o twenty-six o r t w e n t y - s e v e n d e g r e e s ; and in the night t o t w e n t y - o n e degrees. F r o m t h e 3 0 t h o f A p r i l t o the 11th o f M a y , I had n o t b e e n able t o see any star in the meridian so as t o determine t h e latitude o f places. I watched w h o l e nights in order t o make use o f t h e m e t h o d o f d o u b l e a l t i t u d e s ; b u t all m y efforts w e r e useless. T h e fogs o f the north o f E u r o p e are n o t m o r e c o n s t a n t than t h o s e o f t h e equatorial r e g i o n s o f Guiana. O n t h e 4th o f M a y , I saw the sun for s o m e m i n u t e s ; and f o u n d b y t h e c h r o n o m e t e r and the horaryangles the l o n g i t u d e o f Javita t o b e 70° 2 2 ' , o r 1° 1 5 ' father w e s t than the l o n g i t u d e o f the j u n c t i o n o f t h e A p u r e with t h e O r i n o c o . T h i s result is interesting for laying d o w n o n o u r maps the u n k n o w n country lying between the Xiè and the sources o f the Issana, situated o n the same meridian with the mission o f Javita. The Indians o f Javita, whose n u m b e r a m o u n t s t o o n e hundred and sixty, now belong fur the most part to the nations o f the Poimisanos, the Echinavis, and the Paraganis. T h e y are e m p l o y e d in the c o n s t r u c t i o n o f boat's, formed o f the t r u n k s o f sassafras, a largo species o f laurel, h o l l o w e d b y means o f fire and the hatchet. T h e s e trees are m o r o than o n e h u n d r e d feet h i g h ; t h e w o o d is y e l l o w , resinous, almost incorruptible in water, and has a very agreeable smell. W e saw t h e m at San F e r n a n d o , at Javita, and m o r e particularly at Esmeralda, where m o s t o f the canoes o f t h e O r i n o c o are const landed, because the adjacent forests furnish the largest trunks o f sassafras. T h e forest bed ween Javita and the Caño Pimichin, contains an immense quantity o f gigantic trees, ocoteas, and laurels, the A m a s o n i a arborea,* the Retiniphyllum secundiflorum, the curvana, the j a c i o , the iacifate, o f which the w o o d is red like the brazilletto, the g u a m u f a t e , w i t h its fine leaves o f • This is a now species of the genus taligalea of Aublet. O n the same •pot grow the Bignonia magnolia-folia, B. jasminifolia, Solanum topiro, Justicia pertoralis, Faramea cymosa. Piper javitense, Scleria hirtella, Echites javitensis, Lindsea javitensis, and that curious plant of the family of the verbenaceæ, winch I have dedicated to the illustrious Leopold von Buch, in whose early labours I participated.
2 A
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