232 THE WILD. 



the swamps, covered witli gigantic beeches and sycamores, 

 entwined and tangled by the various species of briers and 

 vines that hano- in festoons from the trees, and amidst 

 the evergreen bushes of the hystrix f an-pahn, this " ghostly 

 watchman" lifts up his hollow voice like a sentinel 

 challeno^ino; the intruder. Throusrh the afternoon, and 

 especially as day wanes into evening, they may be heard 

 from all quarters of the swamps ; and in the deep solitude 

 and general silence of these gloomy recesses, the cry is 

 peculiarly startling. "Ho! oho! oho! waugh h51" is 

 his call ; the last syllable uttered with particular earnest- 

 ness, and protracted for some seconds, and gradually 

 falling. The whole is given deliberately, in a loud and 

 hollow tone ; and one can scarcely be persuaded that it 

 comes from a bird. 



I have already alluded to the Guacharo, an extraordinary 

 bird inhabiting a very limited district in the province of 

 Cumana, South America, and entirely confined to caverns. 

 There is, however, so much of romantic interest attached 

 to its habits, that we may glance at a few of the details 

 which Humboldt has given us from his own experience. 

 On his arrival at the valley of Caripe, the people all spoke 

 with superstitious wonder of a cavern several leagues in 

 length, that gave birth to a river, and was haunted by 

 thousands of night-birds, whose fat was used in the 

 Missions instead of butter. 



Humboldt made a party to explore this wondrous 

 cavern. After reaching the river which flows out of it, 

 they followed its course upwards by a winding path, till 



