186 DIFFERENT SPECIES OF TORTOISES.' 



monkish legends," said the pulpero of Angostura, in a low 

 roice ; for the only travellers in this country being the 

 missionaries, they here call ' monks' stories,' what we call 

 1 travellers' tales,' in Europe. 



The Indians assured us that, in going up the Orinoco 

 from its mouth to its junction with the Apure, not one island 

 or one beach is to be found, where eggs can be collected in 

 abundance. The great turtle (arrau)* dreads places inha- 

 bited by men, or much frequented by boats. It is a timid 

 and mistrustful animal, raising only its head above the 

 water, and hiding itself at the least noise. The shores where 

 almost all the turtles of the Orinoco appear to assemble 

 annually, are situated between the junction of the Ori- 

 noco with the Apure, and the great cataracts ; that is to 

 say, between Cabruta and the Mission of Atures. There 

 are found the three famous fisheries ; those of Encaramada, 

 or Boca del Cabullare ; of Cucuruparu, or Boca de la Tor- 

 tuga ; and of Pararuma, a little below Carichana. It seems 

 that the arrau does not pass beyond the cataracts ; and we 

 were assured, that only the turtles called terekay, (in Spanish 

 terecayas,} are found above Atures and Maypures. 



The arrau, called by the Spaniards of the Missions simply 

 tortuga, is an animal whose existence is of great importance 

 to the nations on the Lower Orinoco. It is a large fresh- 

 water tortoise, with palmate and membraneous feet; the 

 head very flat, with two fleshy and acutely-pointed append- 

 ages under the chin ; five claws to the fore feet, and four to 

 the hind feet, which are furrowed underneath. The upper 

 shell has five central, eight lateral, and twenty-four marginal 

 plates. The colour is darkish grey above, and orange 

 beneath. The feet are yellow, and very long. There is a 

 deep furrow between the eyes. The claws are very strong 

 and crooked. The anus is placed at the distance of one-filth 

 from the extremity of the tail. The full-grown animal 

 weighs from forty to fifty pounds. Its eggs are much larger 

 than those of pigeons, and less elongated than the eggs of the 

 terekay. They are covered with a calcareous crust, and, it is 



* This word belongs to the Maypure language, and must not be con- 

 founded with arua, which means a crocodile, among the Tamanacs, 

 neighbours of the Maypures. The Ottomacs call the turtle of Uruana, 

 achea ; the Tamanacs, peje. 



