294 ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT. 



6 1 sailed from Batabano, on the southern coast of the island 

 of Cuba, on the 8th of March, in a very small vessel, of scarcely 

 40 tons' burden, and did not reach land till the 30th of March, 

 after a voyage of twenty-five days, the time usually occupied 

 being hardly more than a week. We were almost constantly 

 becalmed or had only very light winds, and were carried so far 

 west by the Gulf Stream, that, owing to the captain's incredulity 

 as to the correctness of my chronometer, we found ourselves 

 in the Gulf of Darien. We lost a week in working our way 

 back along the coast, which, on account of the tempestuous 

 east wind prevalent at this time of year, was, with so small a 

 vessel, as difficult as it was dangerous. We cast anchor in the 

 Kio Zenu, and spent two days in botanising along its banks, 

 which had not been previously visited by any scientific explorer., 

 6 The country exhibited the most wild luxuriance, and was 

 exceedingly rich in palms, so that we were able to collect a 

 considerable number of new plants. The mouth of the river 

 is more than two miles wide, and is much infested with croco- 

 diles. We met there with some of the Darien Indians ; they 

 are short, broad-shouldered, and flat in figure in every way 

 a contrast to the Caribs ; in complexion they are tolerably fair, 

 with more flesh on their bones, and better developed muscles, 

 than any Indians we have hitherto met with. They lead a life 

 of great independence, and are not hampered with any of the 

 constraints of government. You will thus see that though our 

 voyage was tedious and somewhat dangerous, it yet brought 

 before our notice many objects of interest. Our greatest 

 danger, however, was yet to come, and befell us just as we were 

 entering the port of Cartagena. 



4 We were trying to force our way against the wind into the 

 harbour. The sea was fearfully rough. Our tiny craft could 

 not withstand the force of the waves, and was thrown suddenly 

 upon her beam-ends. A tremendous wave broke over us and 

 threatened to engulph the ship. The man at the helm remained 

 undismayed at his post ; all at once he called out : " No go- 

 bierna el timon!" (The rudder will not act!) We all now gave 

 ourselves up for lost. In this, as it seemed to us, our last 

 extremity, we cut away a sail which was flapping loosely, when 



