S.\N PERNANDO BE ATABAPO. 2J9 



name of Aguas Negras is given. The colour is supposed CHAP, xvili. 

 to be owing to a solution of vegetable matter, and the ^ — 

 Indians attribute it to the roots of sarsaparilla. Negras. 



At three in the morning of the 23d they continued Mouth of tlie 

 their voyage, and passed the mouth of the Rio IMataveni. ''!« /"^lata- 

 The banks were still skirted by forests, but tlie moun- 

 tains on the east retired farther back. The traces left 

 by the floods were not higher than eight feet. At the 

 place where they passed the night, multitudes of bats 

 issued from the crevices, and hovered around their 

 hammocks. Next day a violent rain obliged them to 

 set out at a very early hour. In the afternoon they 

 landed at the Indian plantation of San Fernando, and 

 after midnight arrived at the mission, where they were 

 received with the kindest hospitality. 



The village of San Fernando de Atabapo is situated San Fernando 

 near the confluence of the Orinoco, the Atabapo, and the ^'^ Atabapo. 

 Guaviare ; the latter of which Humboldt thinks might 

 with more propriety be considered the continuation of 

 the Orinoco than a branch. The number of inhabitants 

 did not exceed 226. The missionary liad the title of 

 president of the stations on the Orinoco, and superin- 

 tended the twenty-six ecclesiastics settled on its banks 

 as well as on those of the Rio Negro, Casiquiare, 

 Atabapo, and Caura. The Indians were a little more Indians, 

 civilized than the inmates of the other establishments, 

 and cultivated cacao in small quantities, together with 

 cassava and plantains. Tliey were surrounded with 

 good jjasturage, but not more than seven or eight cows 

 were to be seen. The most striking object in the 

 neighbourhood was the pirijao palm, which lias a 

 thorny trunk more than sixty-four feet high, pinnated 

 leaves, and clusters of fruit two or three inches in 

 diameter, and of a purple colour. The fruit furnishes a 

 farinaceous substance, of a colour resembling that of the 

 yolk of an egg, which when boiled or roasted affords a 

 very wholesome and agreeable aliment. 



On entering the Rio Atabapo the travellers found a 

 great change in the scenery, the colour of the stream. 



