162 HEE PUNISHMENT AND ESCAPE. 



and fartlicr from her hut and her native country. She 

 succeeded in breaking her bonds, threw herself into the 

 water, and swam to the left bank of the Atabapo. The 

 current carried her to a shelf of rock, which bears her 

 name to this day — The Mother's Rock. She landed and 

 took shelter in the woods, but the president of the mis- 

 sions ordered the Indians to row to the shore, and follow 

 the traces of the Guahiba. In the evenins^ she was 

 brought back. Stretched upon the rock, a cruel punish- 

 ment was inflicted upon her with straps of manati leather, 

 which served for whips in that country, and with which 

 the alcaldes were always furnished. The unhappy wo- 

 man, her hands tied behind her back, was then dragged 

 to the mission of Javita. 



She was there thrown into one of the caravanserais. 

 It was the rainy season, and the night was profoundly 

 dark. . Forests till then believed to be impenetrable 

 separated the mission of Javita from that of San Fer- 

 nando, which was twenty-five leagues distant in a straight 

 line. No other route was known than that by the 

 rivers ; no man ever attempted to go by land from one 

 village to another. But such difficulties could not deter 

 a mother, separated from her children. The Guahiba 

 was carelessly guarded in the caravanserai. Her arms 

 being wounded, the Indians of Javita had loosened her 

 bonds, unknown to the missionary and the alcaldes. 

 Having succeeded by the help of her teeth in break- 

 ing them entirely, she disappeared during the night ; and 

 at the fourth sunrise was seen at the mission of San 

 Fernando, hovering around the hut where her children 

 were confined. ." What that woman performed," added 

 the missionary, who gave the travellers this sad narra* 



