CHAPTER IX. 



UKBAXA. 



The Orinoco. — Preparatious for entering Urbana. — Keception at the Town. 

 — A Fiesta-Day.— Our Quarters. — Smoking out Bats. — Deseription of 

 Town. — Ascent of CeiTO. — Picturesque View. — Harper's Weekly. — 

 Insects and Birds. — Annoying Delays. — Arrangements for Voyage up 

 the Orinoco. 



Eaelt on tlic morning of the 2Sth of October, we 

 crossed the Oi-inoco — which, at this point, is a league in 

 breadth — to Urbana, located directly opposite the mouth 

 of the Arauca. The river had fallen to its medium height, 

 from the annual rise, which lifts the Orinoco, at Urbana, 

 from thirty to thirty-five feet above its lowest water-mark ; 

 a change of level much less than occurs higher up, where 

 the stream is forced through narrow passes, as at the 

 Straits of Baraguan and the Great Cataracts. Landing 

 a short distance above the town, beneath the shelter of a 

 projecting promontory of granitic rocks, we proceeded to 

 make ourselves look as respectable as circumstances would 

 permit, before encountering civilization. A small wooden 

 trunk was hauled out from the bongo, and Celestino, our 

 patron, soon underwent a transformation tliat gave him a 

 decidedly picturesque appearance. His habiliment, the 

 usual dress suit of the llanero, consisted of a pair of light- 

 brown pants extending to the knees, whence each leg was 

 prolonged into two points, reaching to the feet. Beneath 



