220 CARIB INDIANS. 
Apure, the breadth of the stream was ascertained 
to be 4063 yards, and in the rainy season it ex- 
tends to 11,760. The temperature of the water 
was in the middle of the current 82°9°, and near the 
shores, 84:6°. They first went up toward the south- 
west as far as the shore of the Guaricoto Indians 
on the left bank, and then toward the south. The 
mountains of Encaramada, forming a continued 
chain from west to east, seemed to rise from the wa- 
ter as distant land rises on the horizon at sea. The 
beach was composed of clay intermixed with scales 
of mica, deposited in very thin strata. At the port 
of Encaramada, where they stopped for some time, 
they met with a Carib cacique going up the river 
in his canoe to gather turtles’ eggs. He was armed 
with a bow and arrows, as were his attendants, and, 
like them, he was naked and painted red. These 
Indians were tall and athletic, and, with their 
hair cut straight across the forehead, their eyebrows 
painted black, and their gloomy but animated coun- 
tenances, had a singular appearance. The travel- 
lers were surprised to find that the anterior portion 
of the cranium is not so depressed as those of the 
Caribs are usually represented to be. The women 
carried their infants on their backs. The shore is 
here formed by a rock forty or fifty feet high, com- 
posed of blocks of granite piled upon each other; 
the surface of which was of a dark-gray colour, al- 
though the interior was reddish-white. The night 
was passed in a creek opposite the mouth of the Rio 
Cabullare. The evening was beautiful, with moon- 
light; but towards twelve the north-east wind blew 
so violently that they became apprehensive for the 
safety of their canoe. 
