284 LUXURIANCE OF VEGETATION. 



some gigantic water-snake, or deadly crocodile, 

 which has been roused from its torpor by the recent 

 rains. 



But soon, throughout a wide extent of country, 

 the beauty and luxuriance of vegetation disappears. 

 The rivers Apure, Payara, and Arauca, which form 

 the southern boundary of the Llanos, overflow their 

 banks, and render one part of the vast plains a 

 lake, so deep and wide that large vessels often sail 

 for many miles across the country. The joyous 

 creatures which were seen so lately to luxuriate in 

 the rich pasturage are now compelled to live as if 

 amphibious. Those isolated banks which rise above 

 the level of the plains become crowded with 

 animals, but as the rapidly-increasing current soon 

 encroaches upon them, the poor harassed creatures 

 may be seen, now standing breast-deep in water, 

 and cropping the grasses which still appear above 

 the brown turbid stream, and now swimming, for 

 hours together, in quest of some bank on which to 

 secure themselves. Many of the young are drowned 

 in consequence, and many are seized by the croco- 

 diles, or injured by the blows of their jagged tails, 

 while such as escape often bear about with them 

 the marks inflicted by these rapacious animals. 



Gradually as the waters rise, so gradually do 

 they disappear. The sun re-enters the southern 

 signs, and the current of air from the north sets in 

 again; the rains quickly cease, and the gray canopy 

 of clouds which so mercifully intercepted the rays 

 of a vertical sun is soon withdrawn; they accumu- 

 late on the horizon in mountainous masses, and 

 then disperse into light and floating forms; by de- 



