MISSION OF SAN BORJA. 205 



determining the longitude of the embouchure of the CllAPXVii 

 Aleta, — a river whicli will one day he of great political niveriieta. 

 nnportance to the inhabitants of Guiana and Venezuela, 

 as it is navigable to the foot of the Andes of New Grenada. 

 Above this point the current was comparatively free 

 from shoals ; and in the evening they reached the 

 Rapids of Tabaje. As the Indians would not venture to 

 pass them they were obliged to land, and repose on a 

 craggy platform having a slope of more than eighteen 

 degrees, and having its crevices filled with bats. The 

 cries of the jaguar were heard very near during the 

 whole night ; the sky was of a tremendous blackness ; 

 and the hoarse noise of the rapids blended with the 

 thunder which rolled at a distance amongst the woods. 



Early in the morning they cleared the rapids, and Rapids of 

 disembarked at the new mission of San Borja, where tabaje. 

 they found six houses inhabited by uncatechis'ed Guahi- 

 boes, who differed in nothing from the wild natives. 

 The faces of the young girls were marked with black 

 spots. This people had not painted their bodies, and 

 several of them had beards, of which they seemed 

 proud, taking the travellers by the chin, and showing 

 by signs that they were like themselves. In continuing 

 to ascend the river they found the heat less intense, the 

 temperature during the day being 79° or 81 '5°, and at 

 night about 75° ; but the torment of tlie mosquitoes 

 increased. The crocodiles which they saw were all of 

 tlae extraordinary size of 24 or 25 feet. 



The night was spent on the beach ; but the sufferings island of 

 inflicted by the flies induced the travellers to start at Guachaco 

 five in the morning. On the island of Guachaco, where 

 they stopped to breakfast, they found the granite covered 

 by a sandstone or conglomerate, containing fragments of 

 quartz and felspar cemented by indurated, clay, and ex- 

 hibiting small veins of brosvn iron-ore. Passing the mouth 

 of the Rio Parueni, they slept on the island of Panu- 

 mana, which they found rich in plants, and where they 

 again observed the low shelves of rock partially coated 

 with the vegetation which they had admired at Carichana. 



