AND A JOURNEY OVER THE LLANOS OF GUMANA. 39 



good effect its singularity freed me from several flocks of vultures 

 which had from time to time settled upon the tree, and whose 

 croaking and harsh guttural sounds had much annoyed me. 



Day was fast waning ; at intervals I was distressed by vehement 

 hunger, alternating with a deadly nausea ; and again and again I 

 minutely examined every accessible portion of the tree, hoping to 

 find something, however disgusting it might be, on 'which I could 

 feed. Nothing could be found the waters had driven away all the 

 smaller animals that might have come within my reach. The 

 isolated position of the mimosa removed it too far from any other tree 

 for the monkeys thousands of which were sporting within sight 

 to get into it, or possibly I might have secured one of them. 



As night approached, the solitude, in the absence of light, became 

 much more oppressive. Its advent was ushered in by no star, the 

 grey mist shutting out from view every thing above a particular 

 elevation ; but the sounds that issued from all sides were sufficient 

 indications of its near presence. Darkness was fast closing around 

 me, and the third night of my strange imprisonment found me again 

 extended in my hammock. Sleep had forsaken me the hours crept 

 slowly on acute pains shot through my limbs disturbed visions 

 chased one another through my mind strange noises issued at times 

 from the woods, as if the whole population was aroused by broad 

 day ; again they died away, and the deep silence was rendered still 

 more impressive by the rushing whisper of the swoln river. It ap- 

 peared to my longing wishes as if morning would never dawn ; and 

 even when it did, how could its light benefit me ? The night-wind 

 was gradually dispersing the fog, and at length the nebulous sky of 

 the tropics came dimly into sight. As I lay gazing upon it, meteor 

 after meteor gleamed across it, whilst the rolling of distant thunder 

 served only to remind me of the extent of my misery. The first 

 streak of day-light was just brightening the horizon, when a sound, 

 differing widely from those which had been heard, struck upon my 

 ear. To my wishful fancy it resembled the booming of fire-arms over 

 the wide waters. It died away ; it came again and again. I was no 

 longer in doubt that such was its nature but whence proceeding? 

 Could it be that my late companions were anxiously seeking me ? 

 I feared not, as it came apparently directly across the river ; and, at 

 length, I concluded that some petty, though bloody hostilities, were 

 carrying on in the villages on the southern bank. 



A troubled sleep closed my eyelids ; and when I again awoke, the 

 sun had risen above the trees, bounding the horizon. I crawled from 

 my cot ; and the effects of illness, continued mental excitement, and 

 famine were visibly depicted in my weakness, as I found some diffi- 

 culty in supporting myself amongst the branches. The feeling of 

 hunger was gone for the present, and had given place to a sense of 

 complete exhaustion. I reached a point which had formed my seat 

 on the previous day, and abandoned myself to more settled de- 

 spondency than I had as yet yielded to. How long I had continued 

 in this state of living death I know not, when my faculties were sud- 

 denly roused by the report of a musket ringing upon my ear. In 

 whatever shape humanity might approach, I should welcome it. 



