208 THE ISLAND OF BARU. 



of Rincon. They cast anchor at four fathoms ; but 

 haying discovered that they were lying over a reef of 

 coral they preferred the open sea. 



The wind having dropped during the night they could 

 only advance to the island of Arenas, where they an- 

 chored. The weather became stormy during the night. 

 They again set sail on the morning of the 29th, hoping 

 to be able to reach Boca Chica that day. The gale blew 

 with extreme violence, and they were unable to proceed 

 with their frail bark against the wind and the current, 

 when by a false manoeuvre in setting the sails (they had 

 but four sailors), they were during some minutes in im- 

 minent danger. The captain, who was not a very bold 

 mariner, declined to proceed further up the coast, and 

 they took refuge, sheltered from the wind, in a nook of 

 the island of Baru. 



There was to be an eclipse of the moon during the 

 night, and the next day an occultation of a star in Vir- 

 go. The observation of the latter phenomenon might 

 have been very important in determining the longitudo 

 of Carthagena. In vain Humboldt urged the captain to 

 allow one of his sailors to accompany him by land to the 

 foot of Boca Chica, a distance of five miles, lie objected 

 on account of the wild state of the country, in which 

 there was neither habitation nor path. A little incident, 

 which might have rendered the expedition more fatal, 

 justified the prudence of the captain. Humboldt and 

 Bonpland went by moonlight, to collect plants on the 

 shore; as they approached the land, they saw a young 

 negro issue from the thicket. lie was quite naked, 

 loaded with chains, and armed with a long knife. He 

 invited them to land on a part of the beach covered with 



