AMAZON-STONES — CASIQUIAUE. 229 



out of the earth, and harden after they have been chap.xviii 

 moulded by the hand. They were found to be jade or "— 

 saussurite, approaching to compact felspar, of a colour Kicai cha- 

 passing from apple to emerald green, translucent on the ''''•^'*=''"- 

 edges, and taking a fine polish ; but the substance usually 

 called Amazon-stone in Europe is different, being a 

 common felspar of a similar colour, coming from the 

 Uralian Mountains and Lake Onega, in Russia. 



Connected with this mineral are the warlike women, Amazons. 

 whom the travellers of the sixteenth century named the 

 Amazons of the New World ; and regarding whom 

 Humboldt found no satisfactory accounts, although he 

 is disposed to believe that their existence was not merely 

 imaginary. 



The travellers passed three daj's at San Carlos, watch- g^n Carioi 

 ing the greater part of each night, in the hope of seizing 

 the moment of the passage of some star over the meridian ; 

 but the sky was continually obscured by vapours. On 

 the 10th May they embarked a little before sunrise to 

 go up the Rio Negro. The morning was fine, but as the 

 heat increased the firmament became darkened. Passing 

 l)etween the islands of Zaruma and Mibita, covered with 

 dense vegetation, and ascending the rapids of the Piedra 

 de Uinumane, they entered the Casiquiare at the distance pritraiice of 

 of 9| miles from the fort of San Carlos. The rock at the Casi- 

 the rapids was granite, traversed by numerous veins of ''"'*'' ® 

 quartz several inches broad. The night was spent at 

 the mission of San Francisco Solano, on the left bank of 

 the Casiquiare. The Indians were of two nations, the 

 Pacimonales and Cheruvichahenas ; and from the lattei 

 the travellers endeavoured to obtain some information 

 respecting the upper part and sources of the Rio Negro, 

 but without success. In one of the huts of the former 

 tribe they purchased two large birds, a toucan and a Birds. 

 macaw, to add to the already considerable stock which 

 they possessed. Most of the animals were confined in 

 small cages, while others ran at liberty all over the boat. 

 At the approach of rain, the macaws uttered frightful 

 screams, the toucan was desirous of gaining the shore in 



