THE INDIAN PILOT. 59 



Spanish colours, but they drew near with distrust. These 

 canoes, like all those in use among the natives, were 

 constructed of the single trunk of a tree. In each canoe 

 there were eighteen Guayqueria Indians, naked to the 

 waist, and of very tall stature. They had the appearance 

 of great muscular strength, and the colour of their skin 

 was something between brown and copper-colour. Seen 

 at a distance, standing motionless, and projected on the 

 horizon, they might have been taken for statues of bronze. 

 When they were near enough for those on board the 

 Pizarro to hail them, which they did in Spanish, they 

 threw off their mistrust and carfte on board. They had 

 left the port of Cumana, they said, during the night, and 

 were going in search of timber to the cedar forests, which 

 extended from Cape San Jose to beyond the mouth of Rio 

 Carupano. They gave Humboldt some fresh cocoa-nuts, 

 and some beautifully coloured fish. What riches to his 

 eyes were contained in the canoes of these poor Indians ! 

 Broad spreading leaves, covered bunches of plantains. 

 The scaly cuirass of an armadillo, the fruit of the cala- 

 bash tree, used as a cup by the natives, productions 

 common in the cabinets of Europe, had a peculiar charm 

 for him, because they reminded him that, having reached 

 the torrid zone, he had attained the end to which his 

 wishes had been so long directed. 



The master of one of the canoes came on board as 

 pilot, and the Pizarro weighed anchor towards evening. 

 They soon came in sight of the little island of Cubagua, 

 formerly celebrated for its pearl fisheries, but now en- 

 tirely deserted. There being but little wind, however, 

 the captain stood off and on till daybreak. Humboldt 

 and Bonpland passed a part of the night on deck, con- 



