140 UP THE ORINOCO. 



push us oft' into deeper sailing ; often they towed the boat 

 along for miles over the shallow places, as a relief to con- 

 stant rowing. The heat was most intense, and the mos- 

 quitoes increased as we neared the Great Cataracts. We 

 tried covering our hands and faces with gloves and veils, 

 but the heat was insupportable. Expelling, by means of 

 smoke, the torments from beneath our carroza, and spread- 

 ing a blanket over the entrance, we could enjoy a few 

 minutes' repose ; but the vertical rays of the sun upon our 

 palm-leaf thatch would soon drive us to the external air. 

 The little caribe fish that filled the river, and huge caimans 

 which showed their scaly backs everywhere above the sur- 

 face of the water, prohibited bathing, that would have af- 

 forded so refreshing a relief. 



The night of the 20th Avas passed upon an island plaia 

 in the middle of the river, whither we cai*ried wood in our 

 boat for a fire. Roving bands of Guahibos had been seen 

 during the day along the western shore, and jaguars were 

 also unpleasantly abundant on this portion of the Orinoco. 

 Having no particular desire to encounter either, we se- 

 lected a camping-ground where surprise by them would 

 be more diflicult than upon the main-land. The following 

 night we passed upon a rock, and early upon the morning 

 of the 22d of November we arrived at the far-famed cata- 

 racts of the Atures. 



