LANDING AT THE RIO SINU. 265 



tinged with a fine red colour; hut towards evening CHAP.XXli. 



large bluish clouds formed, and when they disappeared, Atmosplievic 



converging bands of fleecy vapours were seen at an aUangea. 



immense height. On the 24tli they entered the kind of 



gulf bounded by the shores of Santa Martha and Costa 



Rica, which is frequently agitated by heavy gales. As 



they advanced toward the coast of Daricn, the north-east 



wind increased to a violent degree, and the waves became 



very rough at night. At sunrise they perceived part of 



the archipelago of St Bernard, and passing the southern 



extremity of the Placa de San Bernardo, saw in the 



distance the mountains of Tigua. The stormy weather 



and contrary winds induced the master of the vessel to 



seek shelter in the Rio Sinu, after a passage of sixteen 



days. 



Landing again on the continent of South America, ViilaRe of 

 they betook themselves to the village of Zapote, where '■^^vo^^ 

 they found a great number of sailors, all men of colour, 

 who had descended the Rio Sinu in their barks, carry- 

 ing maize, bananas, poultry, and other articles, to the 

 port of Carthagena. The boats are flat-bottomed, and 

 the wind having blown violently on the coast for ten 

 days, they were unable to proceed on their voyage. 

 These people fatigued the travellers with idle questions 

 about their books and instruments, and tried to frighten 

 them with stories of boas, vipers, and jaguars. Leaving Forest-trees 

 the shores, which are covered with Rhizophorce, they 

 entered a forest remarkable for the great variety of 

 palm-trees which it presented. One of them, the JEleis 

 melariococca, is only six feet four inches high, but its 

 spathie contain more than 200,000 flowers, a single 

 specimen fuinishing 600,000 at the same time. The 

 kernels of the fruit are peeled in water, and the layer of 

 oil that rises from them, after being purified by boiling, 

 yields the manteca de corozo, which is used for lighting 

 churches and houses. 



After an hour's walk they found several inhabitants nilm-wice 

 collecting palm-wine. The tree which affords this 

 liquid is the Palma dolce or Corns hutyracea. The 



