222 ASCKNT OF THE RIO TEMT. 



CHAP. XVIII. tliorny lianas. And the reward of all tliis courage and 



r, r~Z devotion was — her removal to one of the missions of 

 Barbanty , . . ,, . , 



of fhe the U})i)er Orinoco, where, despainng oi ever seenig her 



missionaries, ijp]^^.^.,] cliildren, and refusing all kind of nourishment, 

 she died, a victim to the bigotry and barbarity of wretches 

 blasphemously calling themselves the ministers of a 

 reliirion wliich inculcates universal benevolence. 

 EioTeinj. Above the mouth of the Guasucavi the travellers 



entered the Rio Tenii, which runs from south to north. 

 The ground was flat and covered with trees, over which 

 rose the pirijao palm with its clusters of peach-like 

 fruits, and the Manritia aculeata, with fan-shaped leaves 

 pointing downwards, and marked with concentric circles 

 blue and green. Wherever the river forms sinuosities 

 the forest is flooded to a great extent ; and, to shorten 

 the route, the boat frequently pushed through the woods 

 along open avenues of water four or five feet broad. 

 An Indian furnished with a large knife stood at the 

 bow continually cutting the branches wliich obstructed 

 the passage. In the thickest part of it a shoal of fresh- 

 water dolphins issued from beneath the trees and sur- 

 rounded the vessel. At five in the evening tlie travel- 

 lers, after sticking for some time between two trunks, 

 and experiencing other difficulties, regained the proper 

 channel, and passed the night near one of the columnar 

 masses of granite which occasionally protrude from tlie 

 level surface. 

 Saiiinc Setting out before daybreak, they remained in the 



througli tlie bed of the river till sunrise, when, to avoid the force of 

 the current, they again entered the inundated forest ; 

 and soon arriving at the junction of the Temi with the 

 Tuamini, they followed the latter toward the south- 

 west. At eleven they reached San Antonio de Javita, 

 where they liad the pleasure of finding a very intelli- 

 gent and agreeable monk : though they were obliged to 

 remain nearly a week, while the boat was carried by 

 land to the Rio Negro. For two days the travellers 

 Jiad felt an extraordinary irritation on the joints of the 

 fingers and on the back of the hands, which the mission- 



