THE CHUBASCO 9S 



Orinoco is performed by sloops and schooners, the breeze 

 being powerful enough to drive the vessels up against the 

 current, which is not as strong as in the rainy months. 

 The Orinoco is subject to sudden squalls of a violent 

 nature called cliuhdscos. The sky assumes a coppery-red 

 colour, followed by strong gusts of wind and fitful showers ; 

 the placid waters of the stream are lashed into big waves, 

 dangerous for even the largest bongos. Although those 

 in the habit of navigating the rivers of this part of 

 Venezuela know the signs indicating the approach of the 

 chuhdscos, yet boats are frequently overtaken by them 

 before they can reach some friendly bank, so sudden 

 at times is the occurrence of these squalls. I have a 

 very vivid recollection of how our boat was nearly 

 swamped once near ' El Potrero,' one of the finest cattle 

 ranches on the Orinoco. We had stopped for a couple of 

 hours on a marshy stretch of ground to shoot wild ducks, 

 which are abundant at this place. After some very good 

 sport we shoved off well into the stream, so as to get the 

 full benefit of the current. It could not have been more 

 than ten minutes after we had left the shore when one 

 of the men shouted to the others ' chubdsco,' and with 

 a suddenness that was appalling the squall struck us. 

 Everything around seemed to grow white in an instant. 

 The small drops of rain, which almost blinded us, were 

 of a misty whiteness ; the tops of the waves were white ; 

 the verj'^ wind rushing past us appeared of a greyish tint. 

 The men bent to their paddles and, as we had not had 

 time to get far from land, we succeeded in getting back. 

 But it was with difficulty that we accomplished this, 

 while most of our effects were wet with the water we 

 shipped in the short time it took us to reach a place of 

 safety. From my experience on that occasion I should 



