BARANCAS NUEVAS. 275 



two Spaniards. Leaving Turbaco, in a cool and very chap.XXIL 

 (lark night they passed through a wood of bamboos rising .\rri^^at 

 fl-om forty to fifty feet. At daj'brcak they reached Jiahatcsi 

 Arjona on the borders of the forest, crossed an arm of 

 the Rio Magdalcna in a canoe, and arrived at Mahatcs, 

 where they had to w^iit nearly all day for the mules 

 which were to convey their baggage to the place of 

 embarkation. It Avas excessively hot, without a breath 

 of wind, and, to add to their vexation, their only re- 

 maining barometer had been broken in passing the canal ; 

 but they consoled themselves l)y examining some beau- 

 tiful species of parrots •which they obtained from the 

 natives. 



On the 20th April, at three in the morning, the air Forest 

 feeling deliciously cool, although the thermometer was ^ "^"^^^ 

 at 71*6°, they were on their journey to the village of 

 Barancas Nuevas, amid a forest of lofty trees. Half- 

 way lietween Mahates and that hamlet they found a 

 group of huts elegantly constructed of bamboos, and 

 inhabited by Zamboes. Humboldt remarks, that the 

 intermixture of Indians and negroes is very common in 

 those countries, and that the women of the American 

 Tribes have a great liking to the men of the African race. 

 To the east of Mahates the limestone formation, con- 

 taining corals, ceases to appear ; the predominant rocks 

 being siliceous with argillaceous cement, formmg al- 

 ternating beds of small-grained quartzose and slaty 

 sandstone, or conglomerates containing angular fragments 

 of lydian-stone, clay-slate, gneiss,and quartz, and varying 

 in colour from yellowish-gray to brownish-red. 



Hitherto the narrative of the important journey per- Narrative 

 formed by Humboldt and Bonpland, through those j'oniTiey. 

 little known but highly interesting regions of South 

 America which were visited by them, has been given as 

 much in detail as is consistent with the nature of a work 

 like the present ; but here, as no minute account of their 

 further progress has yet been laid before the public, we 

 must cease to follow them step by step, and content 

 ourselves with a brief narrative of their proceedings. 



