232 ASPECT OF THE ITTDTANS." 



exceedingly black ; and the hoarse sounds of the cascades of 

 the Orinoco mingled with the rolling of the distant thunder. 



Early in the morning of the 13th April we passed the 

 rapids of Tabaje, and again disembarked. Father Zea, who 

 accompanied us, desired to perform mass in the new Mission 

 of San Borja, established two years before. "We there found 

 six houses inhabited by uncatechised Gruahibos. They differ 

 in nothing from the wild Indians. Their eyes, which are 

 jarge and black, have more vivacity than those of the Indians 

 who inhabit the ancient missions. We in vain offered them 

 brandy ; they would not even taste it. The faces of all the 

 young girls were marked with round black spots ; like the 

 patches by which the ladies of Europe formerly imagined 

 they set off the whiteness of their skins. The bodies of the 

 G-uahibos were not painted. Several of them had beards, of 

 which they seemed proud; and, taking us by the chin, 

 showed us by signs, that they were made like us. Their 

 shape was in general slender. I was again struck, as I had 

 been among the Salives and the Macos, with the little 

 uniformity of features to be found among the Indians of the 

 Orinoco. Their look is sad and gloomy ; but neither stern 

 nor ferocious. Without having any notion of the practices 

 of the Christian religion, they behaved with the utmost 

 decency at church. The Indians love to exhibit themselves ; 

 and will submit temporarily to any restraint or subjection, 

 provided they are sure of drawing attention. At the moment 

 of the consecration, they made signs to one another, to 

 indicate beforehand that the priest was going to raise the 

 chalice to his lips. With the exception of this gesture, they 

 remained motionless and in imperturbable apathy. 



The interest with which we examined these poor savages 

 became perhaps the cause of the destruction of the mission. 

 Some among them, who preferred a wandering life to the 

 labours of agriculture, persuaded the rest to return to the 

 plains of the Meta. They told them, " that the white men 

 would come back to San Borja, to take them away in the 

 boats, and sell them as poitos, or slaves, at Angostura." 

 The Gruahibos awaited the news of our return from the Rio 

 Negro by the Cassiquiare; and when they heard that we 

 were arrived at the first great cataract, that of Atures, they 

 all deserted, and fled to the savannahs that border the 



