COLLECTING ORCHIDS. 47 



have tried to collect in this region. When the dry season is 

 fairly advanced most of the smaller rivers dry up, even the larger 

 ones become unsafe for navigation, and if the collector is unfor- 

 tunate enough to be overtaken by the dry season in his journey 

 he will be stranded somewhere in the wilds without any hope of 

 rescue. On the other hand, during the rainy season, he cannot 

 collect the plants for during that time everything is inundated; 

 the course of most of the rivers is gone and all appears like an 

 inland sea. The plants must be collected during the dry season 

 and ever\'thing in readiness at the first sign of the rains. If he can 

 thus calculate all to a nicety ever}i;hing is likely to go well, although 

 the greatest dangers and risks are ahead on the rivers. Several of 

 these may be used but whichever course is chosen the trip is a long 

 one. He may take Rio Cazanare, if he collects in that vicinity; 

 from this river he emerges in Rio Meta and from the Meta into 

 the mighty Orinoco. On his downward journey he will find two 

 rapids, Trapichote in the Rio Meta and the great waterfalls of 

 Cariben in the Orinoco. If the rafts are strong and fortune favors 

 those on board they will emerge safe, but in all likelihood more dead 

 than alive; and no one on board will know how it was done; and 

 it is also possible that the collector will have to risk it alone, for while 

 he can get men from certain places along the rivers, they will as a 

 rule balk when Cariben is reached. There are also other dangers; 

 certain territories through which our course lays are infested with 

 wild Indians. The lower part of the Rio Cazanare is badly infested 

 with them. The name of the tribe is Curvas (Cazanare Indians). 

 They are very hostile to the white man and will attack him with 

 their bows and arrows whenever they have an opportunity, and the 

 only way to avoid conflict is to keep the course in the middle of the 

 river and without tying up at night. It also goes without saying 

 that here if ever the collector must be well armed. On the Rio 

 Meta we find the Guahibos or Meta Indians, and lower down the 

 Yaruros or Orinocco Indians. 



Once we are below the Cariben, dangers such as rapids are over, 

 and if the collector succeeded in keeping a few men on the raft 

 he will noAv float down slowly towards Ciudad Bolivar, but if he is 

 without help to manage his rafts and battle against the trade winds 

 he will have no easy time. He may be fortunate to be seen by some 

 steamboat and taken in tow; if so he is safe. 



