CATARACTS OF THE ORINOCO. 185 



bones of entire families. The larger of these urns were about three 

 feet high and nearly six feet long, of a pleasing oval form and 

 greenish color, having handles shaped like snakes and crocodiles, 

 and meandering or labyrinthine ornaments round the upper margin. 

 These ornaments are quite similar to those which cover the walls of 

 the Mexican Palace at Mitla. They are found in all countries and 

 climates, and in the most different stages of human cultivation 

 among the Greeks and Romans, as well as on the shields of the 

 natives of Tahiti and other islands of the South Sea wherever, the 

 eye is gratified by the rhythmical recurrence of regular forms. 

 These similarities, as I have elsewhere remarked more in detail, are 

 rather to be ascribed to psychological causes, or to such as belong 

 inherently to our mental constitution, than to be viewed as evidences 

 of kindred descent or ancient intercourse between different nations. 



Our interpreters could give us no certain information as to the 

 age of these vessels ; that of the skeletons appeared for the most 

 part not to exceed a century. It is reported among the G-uareca In- 

 dians, that the brave Atures, being pressed upon by cannibal Caribs, 

 withdrew to the rocks of the Cataracts ; a melancholy refuge and 

 dwelling-place, in which the distressed tribe finally perished, and 

 with them their language. In the most inaccessible parts of the 

 Raudal, there are cavities and recesses which have served like the 

 cave of Ataruipe as burying-places. It is even probable that the 

 last family of the Atures may not have been long deceased, for (a 

 singular fact) there is still in Maypures an old parrot, of whom the 

 natives affirm that he is not understood because he speaks the Ature 

 language. 



We left the cave at nightfall, after having collected, to the great 

 displeasure of our Indian guides, several skulls and the entire 

 skeleton of a man. One of these skulls has been figured by Blu- 

 menbach in his excellent craniological work, but the skeleton 

 (together with a large part of our natural, history collections, espe- 

 cially the entomological) was lost in a shipwreck on the coast of 

 Africa, in which our friend and former travelling companion, the 

 young Franciscan monk Juan G-onzalez, perished. 



As if with a presentiment of this painful loss, we turned our steps 

 in a thoughtful and melancholy mood from this bury ing-place of a 



16* 



