184 WAITING IN THE STORM. 



templated on the banks of the Orinoco. The river rolled 

 its waters turbulently over their heads. It seemed like 

 the sea dashing against reefs of rocks ; but at the en- 

 trance of the cavern they could remain dry beneath a 

 large sheet of water that precipitated itself in an arch 

 from above the barrier. In other cavities, deeper, but 

 less spacious, the rock was pierced by the effect of suc- 

 cessive nitrations. They saw columns of water, eight or 

 nine inches broad, descending from the top of the vault, 

 and finding an issue by clefts, that seemed to communi- 

 cate at great distances with each other. 



They had the opportunity of examining this extraor- 

 dinary sight longer than they wished. Their boat was 

 to coast the eastern bank of a narrow island, and to take 

 them in again after a long circuit. They passed an hour 

 and a half in vain expectation of it. Night approached, 

 and with it a tremendous storm. It rained with vio- 

 lence. They began to fear that their frail bark had been 

 wrecked against the rocks, and that the Indians, con- 

 formably to their habitual indifference for the evils of 

 others, had returned tranquilly to the mission. There 

 were only three of the party ; they were completely wet, 

 and uneasy respecting the fate of their boat : it appeared 

 far from agreeable to pass, without sleep, a long night 

 of the torrid zone, amid the noise of the cataracts. Bon- 

 pland proposed to leave Humboldt on the island, and to 

 swim across the branches of the river, that were separated 

 by the granitic dikes. He hoped to reach the forest, 

 and seek assistance at Atures from Father Zea. They 

 dissuaded him with difficulty from undertaking this 

 hazardous enterprise. The little monkeys which they 

 had carried along with them for months, were deposited 



