OEEAT BR1ADTH OF THE EIYEB. 175 



th3 waters, the aspect of the sky and the clouds, would lead 

 an experienced navigator to guess whether he were in the 

 Atlantic, in the Mediterranean, or in the equinoctial part of 

 the Pacific. 



The wind blew fresh from east-north-east. Its direc- 

 tion was favourable for sailing up the Orinoco, towards the 

 Mission of Encaramada; but our canoes were so ill calcu- 

 lated to resist the shocks of the waves, that, from the 

 violence of the motion, those who suffered habitually at sea 

 were equally incommoded on the river. The short, broken 

 waves are caused by the conflict of the waters at the junc- 

 tion of the two rivers. This conflict is very violent, but far 

 from being so dangerous as Father Grumilla describes. We 

 passed the Punta Curiquima, which is an isolated mass of 

 quartzose granite, a small promontory composed of rounded 

 blocks. There, on the right bank of the Orinoco, Father 

 Kotella founded, in the time of the Jesuits, a Mission of 

 the Palenka and Viriviri or Gruire Indians. But during 

 inundations, the rock Curiquima and the village at its foot 

 were entirely surrounded by water ; and this serious incon- 

 venience, together the sufferings of the missionaries and In- 

 dians from the innumerable quantity of mosquitos and niguas* 

 led them to forsake this humid spot. It is now entirely 

 deserted, while opposite to it, on the right bank of the river, 

 the little mountains of Coruato are the retreat of wandering 

 Indians, expelled either from the Missions, or from tribes 

 that are not subject to the government of the monks. 



Struck with the extreme breadth of the Orinoco, between 

 the mouth of the Apure and the rock Curiquima, I ascer- 

 tained it by means oi a base measured twice on the western 

 beach. The bed of the Orinoco, at low water, was 1906 

 toises broad; but this breadth increases to 5517 toises, 

 when, in the rainy season, the rock Curiquima, and the farm 

 of Capuchino near the hill of Pocopocori, become islands. 

 The swelling of the Orinoco is augmented by the impulse of 

 the waters of the Apure, which, far from forming, like other 

 rivers, an acute angle with the upper part of that into which 

 it flows, meets it at right angles. 



We first proceeded south-west, as far as the shore inhabited 



The chego \Pulcx penetrans), whicn penetrates under the nails of th 

 toes in men and monkeys, and there deposits it* eggs. 



