PREPARATIONS. 213 



fur the society of other monkeys. The sight >f the smallest 

 saiiniri puts it to flight. Its eye denotes great vivacity. 

 We have seen it remain whole hours motionless without 

 sleeping, and attentive to everything that was passing 

 around. But this wildness and timidity are merely apparent. 

 The viudita, when alone, and left to itself, becomes furious 

 at the sight of a bird. It then climbs and runs with asto- 

 nishing rapidity ; darts upon its prey like a cat ; and kills 

 whatever it can seize. This rare and delicate monkey is 

 found on the right bank of the Orinoco, in the granite moun- 

 tains which rise behind the Mission of Santa Barbara. It 

 inhabits also the banks of the Ghiaviare, near San Fernando 

 de Atabapo. 



The viudita accompanied us on our whole voyage on the 

 Cassiquiare and the E-io Negro, passing the cataracts twice. 

 In studying the manners of animals, it is a great advantage 

 to observe them during several months in the open air, and 

 not in houses, where they lose all their natural vivacity. 



The new canoe intended for us was, like all Indian boats, 

 a trunk of a tree hollowed out partly by the hatchet and 

 partly by fire. It was forty feet long, and three broad. 

 Three persons could not sit in it side by side. These canoes 

 are so crank, and they require, from their instability, a cargo 

 so equally distributed, that when you want to rise for an 

 instant, you must warn the rowers to lean to the opposite 

 side. Without this precaution the water would necessarily 

 enter the side pressed down. It is difficult to form an idea 

 of the inconveniences that are suffered in such wretched 

 vessels. 



The missionary from the cataracts made the preparations 

 for our voyage with greater energy than we wished. Lest 

 there might not be a sufficient number of the Maco and Gua- 

 hibe Indians, who are acquainted with the labyrinth of small 

 channels and cascades of which the Raudales or cataracts 

 are composed, two Indians were, during the night, placed in 

 the cepo a sort of stocks in which they were made to lie 

 with their legs between two pieces of wood, notched and 

 fastened together by a chain with a padlock. Early in the 

 morning we were awakened by the cries of a young man, 

 mercilessly beaten with a whip of manati skin. His name 

 waa Zerepe, a very intelligent young Indian, who proved 



