DOWN THE PO.KTUGUESA. 87 



words from our hostess at Banl ? Was this the region of 

 insect torments of which we had so often heard ? Poor in- 

 nocents, we little knew the caj)abilities of Venezuela, or 

 dread would have possessed our souls. This was but a 

 paradise to where our journeyings were yet to lead us. 

 Vie battled with sancudos until the hour of midnight, 

 when the moon, appearing above the forest level, sug- 

 gested the practicability of navigating by its light ; and, as 

 any thing was preferable to remaining in such an infested 

 place, we reembarked, and, pushing out into the middle of 

 the stream, floated slowly down the dark waters, the dull 

 thud of our heavy oars alone breaking the silence, so pro- 

 foimd as to be almost painful. We were now less annoyed 

 by insects, the few there were being swept astern by the 

 gentle breeze produced by the motion of the boat. 



Our four days' journey down the Portuguesa, from Baul 

 to San Fernando, was not a very stirrmg or eventful one. 

 The scenery was the most monotonous we had witnessed, 

 not even a hill, or the slightest elevation, rising upon the 

 view for a relief; but we were shut in by forests that 

 lined the shores, with no escape for the eye except as it 

 gazed heavenward, toward a dazzling, burning sun. Ow- 

 ing to the sancudos Avhich so densely populated the river- 

 banks, ovir voyage was interrupted at night only by a 

 short rest, we leaving our bivouac as soon as the moon 

 arose, and dispelled the darkness that settled in the forest 

 channel. Rains were frequent ; and when they came we 

 sometimes sought the shelter of our carroza, which, in 

 this bongo, was sufficiently high to admit of a sitting pos- 

 ture; but, as it was a perfect paradise for sancudos, 

 besides being as hot as an oven, we often preferred a wet- 

 ting to remaining in such a place of torture. 



At noon of our third day from Baul, we came to the 

 small town of San Jaime upon the right bank, and by 

 dark we arrived at Camaguan, a town upon the left bank 



