74 NO ADMIITANCE. 



The Indians made incisions with their large knives in 

 the trunks of the trees, and fixed Humboldt's attention 

 on the beautiful red and gold-coloured woods. 



The supposed gold mine of this crevice, which was 

 the object of their examination, was nothing but an ex- 

 cavation cut into a black strata of marl, which contained 

 pyrites in abundance. The marly strata crossed the 

 torrent, and, as the water washed out metallic grains, 

 the natives imagined, on account of the brilliancy of the 

 pyrites, that the torrent bore down gold. Nor could 

 Humboldt convince them to the contrary ; for they con- 

 tinued to pick up secretly, every bit of pyrites they saw 

 sparkling in the water. The melancholy proverb, " All 

 that glitters is not gold," seemed never to have reached 

 them. Leaving this mythical gold mine they followed 

 the course of the crevice which stretched along a narrow 

 canal, overshadowed by lofty trees. 



They had suffered great fatigue, and were quite 

 drenched by frequently crossing the torrent, when they 

 reached the caverns. A wall of rock rose there perpen- 

 dicularly to the height of five thousand feet. In the 

 middle of this section, and in a position unfortunately 

 inaccessible to man, two caverns opened in the form of 

 crevices. The naturalists were assured by their guides 

 that they were inhabited by nocturnal birds. The party 

 reposed at the foot of the cavern where the flames were 

 seen to issue. The natives discussed the danger to 

 which the town of Cumanacoa would be exposed in case 

 the crevice should become an active volcano, while Hum- 

 boldt and Bonpland speculated on the causes of the phe- 

 nomenon. So ended the expedition. 



On the 12th of September they continued their jour- 



