ESCAPED CONVICTS. 209 



large mangroves, as being a spot where the surf did not 

 break, and offered to conduct them to the interior of the 

 island of Baru, if they would promise to give him some 

 clothes. His cunning and wild appearance, the often- 

 repeated question whether they were Spaniards, and cer- 

 tain unintelligible words which he addressed to some of 

 his companions who were concealed amidst the trees, 

 inspired them with mistrust. These blacks were no 

 doubt maroon negroes: slaves escaped from prison. 

 The party from the vessel were without arms ; the 

 negroes appeared to be more numerous than they were, 

 and, thinking that possibly they invited them to land 

 with the desire of taking possession of their canoe, they 

 thought it prudent to return on board. 



On the morning of the 30th they doubled Punta Gi- 

 gantes, and made for the Boca Chica, the entrance of the 

 port of Carthagena. From thence the distance was seven 

 or eight miles to the anchorage near the town; and 

 although they took a pilot to guide them, they repeat- 

 edly touched on the sandbanks. On landing, Hum- 

 boldt learned, with great satisfaction, that the expedition 

 appointed to take the survey of the coast, had not yet 

 put to sea. This circumstance not only enabled him to 

 ascertain the astronomical position of several towns on 

 the shore, which had served him as points of departure in 

 fixing chronometrically the longitude of the Llanos and 

 the Orinoco, but also served to guide him with respect to 

 the future direction of his journey to Peru. The passage 

 from Carthagena to Porto Bello, and that of the isthmus 

 by the Kio Chagres and Cruces, were alike short and 

 easy ; but it was to be feared, that they might stay long 

 at Panama before they could find an opportunity of pro- 



