CARICIIANA. 201 



called the conquest of souls, which of course was effected chap.xvii. 

 through the conquest of bodies. The soldiers made in- panati~ 

 cursions into the territories of the independent Indians, violence 

 killed all who offered resistance, burned their huts, de- 

 stroyed the plantations, and made prisoners of the old 

 men, women, and children, who were afterwards divided 

 among their establishments. The river again contracted, 

 and rapids began to make their appearance, the shores 

 becoming sinuous and precipitous. In a bay, between 

 two promontories of granite, they landed at what is 

 called the Port of Carichana, and proceeded to the port of 

 mission of that name, situated at the distance of two Ciiriciiani. 

 miles and a half from the bank, where they were 

 hospitably received at the priest's house. The Christian 

 converts at this station were Salivas, a social and mild 

 people, having a great taste for music. 



Among these Indians they found a white woman, the AMiitc 

 sister of a Jesuit of New Grenada, and experienced great '*^'cma^- 

 pleasure in conversing with her without the aid of a 

 third person. In every mission, says Humboldt, there 

 are at least two interpreters, for the purpose of com- interpreters 

 municating between the monks and the catechumens, 

 the former seldom studying the language of the latter. 

 They are natives, somewhat less stupid than the rest, 

 but ill adapted for their office. They always attended 

 the travellers in their excursions ; but little more could 

 be got from them than a mere affirmation or negation. 

 Sometimes, in attempting to hold intercourse with the 

 Indians, he preferred the language of signs, — a method useofsipn? 

 which he recommends to travellers, as the variety of 

 languages spoken on the Meta, Orinoco, Casiquiare, and 

 Rio Negro, is so great, that no one could ever make 

 himself -understood in them all. 



The scenery around the mission of Carichana appeared p;j,e 

 delightful. The village was situated on a grassy plain, scenery, 

 bounded by mountains. Banks of rock, often more than 

 850 feet in circumference, scarcely elevated a few inches 

 above the savannahs, and nearly destitute of vegetation, 

 gave a peculiar character to the country. On these 



