] 20 UEBANA. 



readers to the excellent work, " Adventures in South and 

 Central America," by Don Ramon Paez, where will be 

 found, in the chapter, " The Laud of El Dorado," a full 

 account of these regions. 



The temperature of Urbana, although hot, is not so 

 oppressive as that which we experienced elsewhere. This 

 lower temperature is due to the trade-winds, which are 

 constant from east to west, but are felt with diminishing 

 foi'ce as you ascend the Orinoco, until reaching the Great 

 Cataracts, beyond which no breeze is ever felt. The winds 

 generally rise at 8 or 9 a, m., continuing until abovit 4 p. m., 

 and then are felt again from 10 p. ji. till three o'clock in 

 the morning. These imiform winds are of great service 

 to vessels navigating the Lower Orinoco. The largest 

 craft that are employed on the river above Angostura 

 are lanchas, which consist of a canoe for the hull, its ca- 

 pacity being increased by planks raised upon the sides, 

 with a carroza covering about half its length. To ascend 

 the rapids of the river, smaller boats are necessary. 



Our stay at Urbana had been protracted much beyond 

 our first intentions, and we now watched the earliest oppor- 

 tunity to continue our journey. The padre and gobierno 

 of San Fernando de Atabapo, a town above the cataracts 

 of the Orinoco, were daily expected upon their return from 

 Angostura, whither they had gone, and we determined to 

 accompany them up the river. One day the village was 

 thrown into a state of the greatest excitement by a sail 

 heaving in sight, which was supposed to be the governor's. 

 The artillery of Urbana, which consisted of a single brass 

 piece that a boy could easily have carried, was dragged 

 from the arsenal — some back kitchen — and salute after 

 salute pealed forth over the water to greet the approach- 

 ing vessel, the enthusiasm of the crowd increasing as it 

 neared the land. At Icngtli, amid deafening vivas, the 



