THE GUACHARO. 233 



at length tlie cave yawned before them in all its grandeur. 

 It is pierced in the vertical side of a rock, forming a vaiilt 

 upwards of eighty feet in width, and nearly the same in 

 height. The face of the rock is clad with gigantic trees, 

 and all the luxuriant profusion of tropical vegetation. 

 Beautiful and curious parasitic plants, ferns and orchids, 

 and elegant creepers and lianes, festooned the rugged 

 entrance, hanging dovm in wild drapery, and, what is 

 remarkable, this riant verdure penetrated for some distance 

 even into the cave. Humboldt beheld with astonishment 

 noble plantain-like heliconice eighteen feet high, palms, 

 and arborescent arums, follow^ing the course of the river 

 even to the subterranean j^arts. There the vegetation 

 continues as in the deep crevices of the Andes, half shut 

 out from the light of day, nor does it disajDpear till a 

 distance of thirty or forty paces from the entrance. The 

 party went forward for about four hundred and thirty 

 feet, without being obliged to light their torches. Where 

 the light began to fail, they heard from afar the hoarse 

 cries of the guacharo birds. He states that it is difficult 

 to form an idea of the horrible noise made by thousands 

 of these birds in the dark recesses of the cavern, whence 

 their shrill and piercing cries strike upon the vaulted 

 rocks, and are repeated by the echo in the depths of the 

 grotto. He observes that the race of guacharo birds 

 would probably have been extinct long since, if several 

 circumstances had not contributed to its preservation. 

 The natives, withheld by superstitious fears, seldom dare 

 to proceed far into the recesses of the cavern. Humboldt 



