208 '  YOYAGE DOWN THE APURE. 
newed, the rains cease, the vapours are dissolved, 
and the sky resumes its azure tint. 
At San Fernando, Humboldt observed in the 
river long files of cetaceous animals, resembling the 
common porpoise. The crocodiles seemed to dislike 
them, and dived whenever they approached. They 
were three or four feet long, and appear to be 
peculiar to the great streams of South America, as 
he saw some of them above the cataracts of the 
Orinoco, whither they could not have ascended from 
the sea. 
The rainy season had now commenced, and as 
the way to that river by land lies across an un- 
healthy and uninteresting flat, they preferred the 
longer way by the Rio Apure, and embarked in a 
large canoe or lancha, having a pilot and four In- 
dians for crew. A cabin was constructed in the 
stern, of sufficient size to hold a table and benches, 
and covered with corypha-leaves. They put on board 
a stock of provisions for a month, while the capuchin 
missionary, with whom they had lodged during 
their stay, supplied them with wine, oranges, and 
tamarinds. Fishing-instruments, fire-arms, andsome 
casks.of brandy, for bartering with the natives, were 
added to their store. On the 30th March, at four 
in the afternoon, they left San Fernando, accompa-. 
nied by Don Nicolas Sopo, brother-in-law of the 
governor of the province. The river abounds in fish, 
manatees, and turtles, and its banks are peopled by 
numberless birds, of which the pauxi and guacha- 
raca are the most useful to man. Passing the mouth 
of the Apurito, they coasted the island of the same 
name, formed by the Apure and Guarico, and which 
is seventy-six miles in length. On the banks they. 
6 
