72 MEMOIR OF 



hasty preparations for taking to their heels. In 

 vain was every bribe offered to them; and our 

 traveller, after arriving within thirty miles of his 

 object, was fain to turn back, in order to proceed to 

 Esmeralda. 



Making, therefore, a long circuit to the north- 

 ward, and then proceeding up the river Paramu, 

 he entered, after twenty days of a weary travail, 

 over a wild and unknown country, the river Orinoco, 

 in latitude 2 deg. 54 min. north. This elsewhere 

 mighty river was here obstructed with sand-banks, 

 and only twelve to fifteen inches deep ; with so 

 little current, that in many places the water ap- 

 peared stagnant. The banks were low, and the 

 adjacent country flat, only now and then broken 

 by isolated hills, densely wooded; to the north- 

 ward, however, the mountains of Duida seemed to 

 rise to the clouds. 



The expedition halted at a sand-bank opposite 

 the river Wapo, where they were tormented by 

 swarms of sand-flies, under a heat of 130 degrees 

 in the sun. Thence they started towards Esme- 

 ralda, and at length came in view of a fine savannah 

 extending to the foot of the mountains, which from 

 Humboldt's description was known to be that of 

 Esmeralda ; — some canoes tied to the rivers bank 

 showed him the landing-place. The emaciated forms 

 of his Indian companions and faithful guides told 

 more than volumes what difficulties had been sur- 

 mounted ; but his object was realized ; his observa- 

 tions, commenced on the coast of Guiana, were 



