250 THE SWIMMING POSTMAN. 



in the manner of a turban. When he came to the water- 

 falls he left the river, and made a circuit through the 

 woods. In order to lessen the fatigue of swimming for so 

 long a time, he sometimes threw one arm round a piece 

 of a very light kind of wood. Sometimes a friend went 

 with him to bear him company. The pair had no concern 

 about provisions, as they were always sure of a hospitable 

 reception in any of the scattered huts, which were abun- 

 dantly surrounded with fruit trees. 



The Governor of the province of Jaen de Bracamoros 

 assured Humboldt that letters carried bv this sino^ular 

 water-post were rarely either wetted or lost. Soon after 

 his return to Europe from Mexico, the traveller received, 

 in Paris, letters from Tomependa, which had been sent in 

 the manner above described. Several tribes of Indians, 

 living on the banks of the Upper Amazon, made their 

 journeys in a similar manner, swimming down the stream 

 sociably in parties. 



On approaching the hot climate of the basin of the 

 Amazons, the eyes of the travellers were cheered by the 

 aspect of a beautiful, and occasionally luxuriant vegeta- 

 tion. They had never before, not even in the Canaries, 

 or on the hot sea coast of Cumana and Caraccas, seen finer 

 oranQ!:e trees than those of the Huertas de Pucara. Laden 

 with many thousands of golden fruits, they attained a 

 height of sixty feet ; and, instead of rounded tops, had 

 aspiring branches, almost like laurels or bay trees. The 

 oranges of these trees were deliciously sweet, though the 

 bitter, or Seville orange, was not wanting among them. 



Not far from thence, near the Ford of Cavico, the 

 travellers were surprised by an unexpected sight. They 

 saw a grove of small trees, only about eighteen or nineteen 



