PASSAGE OF THE CATARACTS. 215 



liiboes, on the dike of which they landed while the ciL\p.xvili, 

 Indians were drawing up the boat. The gneiss-rock u.„„^jj^ 

 exhibited circular holes, produced by the friction of Guaiiiboca. 

 pebbles, in one of which they prepared a beverag-c con- 

 sisting of water, sugar, and tlie juice of acid fruits, for 

 the purpose of allaying the thirst of the missionary, who 

 was seized by a fever-fit ; after which they had the 

 pleasure of bathing in a quiei place in the midst of the 

 cataracts. After an hour's dela}', the boat having been got 

 up, they re-embarked their instruments and provisions 

 The river was 1705 yards broad, and had to be crossed 

 obliquely, at a part where the waters rushed with ex- 

 treme rapidity towards the bar, over which they were 

 precipitated. In the midst of this dangerous navigation 

 they were overtaken by a thunder-storm accompanied Thimder- 



bv torrents of rain : and, after rowing; twenty minutes, '*'^?"^ "'^'^ 

 *■ 3 7 n tj 7 ruixL 



found that so far from having made progress they were 

 approaching the fall. But, as the Indians redoubled 

 their efforts, the danger was escaped, and the boat arrived 

 at nightfall in the port of Maypures. The night was 

 extremely dark, and the village was at a considerable 

 distance ; still, as the missionary caused copal-torches to 

 be lighted, they proceeded. As the rain ceased the zan- 

 cudoes reappeared, and the flambeaux being extinguished, 

 they had to grope tlieir way. One of their fellow-tra- 

 vellers, Don Nicolas Soto, slipped from a round trunk 

 on which he attempted to cross a gully, but fortunately 

 received no injury. To add to their distress, the pilot 

 talked incessantly of venomous snakes, water-serpents, 

 and tigers. On their arrival at the mission they found 

 the inhabitants immersed in profound sleep, and nothing 

 was heard but the cries of nocturnal birds and the dis- 

 tant roar of tlie cataract. 



At the village of Maypures they remained three days, Ma\-purca 

 for the purpose of examining the neighbourhood. TJie 

 cataract, called by the Indians Quittuna, is formed by 

 an archipelago of islands, filling the bed of the river to 

 the length of G395 yards, and by dikes of rock which 

 occasionally join them together. The largest of these 



