100 A NATURALIST IN THE GUIANAS 



CHAPTEK VII 



Humboldt's description of the Caura — Llanos of the Caura— Cattle-rearing 

 — Eevolution of 1898 — Waterfowl — Puerto Antonio Liecioni — Mos- 

 ([uitos and flies — Maripa and Aripao — Pinta disease— The Mato — 

 Piaroas — Cormorants — La zona de los bosques. 



Humboldt on his return with Bompland from their 

 memorable journey to the Cassiquiare and Esmeralda, 

 refers to the Caura, before which he passed on June 10, 

 1800. He says that after having slept on an island in the 

 middle of the river, that called Acaru by Father Caulin, 

 they passed the mouth of the Rio Caura. This, the Aruy, 

 and the Carony, he tells us, are the largest tributary 

 streams which the Orinoco receives on its right bank. 

 All the Christian settlements are near the mouth of the 

 river, and the villages of San Pedro, Aripao, Urbani, and 

 Guaraguaraico succeed each other at the distance of 

 a few leagues. The first and most populous contains 

 only about 250 souls. San Luis de Guaraguaraico is a 

 colony of negroes, some freed and others fugitives from 

 Essequibo. This colony merits the particular atten- 

 tion of the Spanish Government, for it can never be 

 sufficiently recommended to endeavour to attach the 

 slaves to the soil and suffer them to enjoy as farmers 

 the fruits of their agricultural labours. The land on the 

 Caura, for the most part virgin soil, is extremely fertile. 

 There are pasturages for more than 15,000 beasts; 

 but the poor inhabitants have neither horses nor horned 



