116 FORDING THE UlUTUCU. 



her tliroat, and was unable to answer their questions. 

 A pitclier, overturned, and half-filled with sand, was 

 lying at her side. Happily one of their mules was laden 

 with water ; and they roused the girl from her lethargic 

 state by bathing her face, and forcing her to drink a few 

 drops of wine. She was at first alarmed on seeing her- 

 self surrounded by so many persons ; but by degrees she 

 took courage, and conversed with their guides. She 

 judged, from the position of the sun, that she must have 

 remained during several hours in that state of lethargy. 

 They could not prevail on her to mount one of their 

 beasts of burden, and she would not return to Uritucu. 

 She had been in service at a neighbouring farm ; and she 

 had been discharged, because at the end of a long sick- 

 ness she was less able to work than before. Their 

 menaces and prayers were alike fruitless ; insensible to 

 suffering, she persisted in her resolution of going to one 

 of the Indian Missions near the city of Calabozo. They 

 removed the sand from her pitcher, and filled it with- 

 water. She resumed her way along the steppe before 

 they had remounted their horses, and was soon separated 

 from them by a cloud of dust. Daring the night they 

 forded the river Uritucu, which abounded with a breed 

 of crocodiles remarkable for their ferocity. They were 

 advised to prevent their dogs from going to drink in the 

 rivers, foj" it often happened that the crocodiles of Uri- 

 tucu came out of the water, and pursued dogs upon the 

 shore. They were shown a hut, in which their host of 

 Calabozo had witnessed a very extraordinary scene. 

 Sleeping with one of his friends on a bench or couch 

 covered with leather, he was awakened early in the 

 morning by a violent shaking and a horrible noi.se. 



