272 A NATURALIST IN THE GUIAxVAS 



I longed for salt and after salt for sugar ! I feel I could 

 swallow handfuls of both. 



May 14. — If we kill nothing to-day we shall have to 

 go without food. Started at daybreak and at about nine 

 o'clock reached Guayarapo. In our weak state the 

 navigation of these dangerous rapids is most trying. In 

 many places we have to get out and haul the boat over 

 masses of rock or beds of shingle. Consequently we 

 make but slow progress. At midday we rested for some 

 time in the shade of a tree on one of the islands. 

 Laureano tried to catch a fish off the rocks, but he had no 

 luck. Cattleya superba is very abundant in these rapids 

 and most of the plants were in full bloom, so that every- 

 where there were crimson blotches amongst the foliage. 

 We worked the whole afternoon, yet when we stopped 

 for the night we were not half-way through the rapids. 

 The last two days have been fine ones with cool winds, 

 an agreeable change from the almost continuous rains 

 experienced since leaving Ameha. Yet the blankets and 

 hammocks are soaking wet from the water the boat ships 

 at every moment. Maite was quite useless as a guide 

 to-day. He appears to be losing his reason. Slept but 

 little and suffered from violent headache and gnawing 

 pains in the stomach. 



May 15. — We got through Guayarapo by nine o'clock, 

 after having twice filled with water ; everything wet. 

 Heard no curassows and we have not a morsel of any- 

 thing to eat. Chewed some green wild guavas. Passed 

 our sleeping-place of March 20, now flooded. Near to 

 this spot are many curious rocks, mostly pinnacle-shaped. 

 Up to midday nothing had been killed and it looked as 

 if we were going to pass another day without food when 

 we heard a pauji humming about 100 yards ahead of 



