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260 MISSION OF SAN ANTONIO. 
by means of the infusion of bark stripped from a 
certain shrub. | 
In 1755, before the expedition to the boundaries, 
the country between the missions of Javita and San 
Baltasar was dependent on Brazil, and the Portu- 
guese had advanced from the Rio Negro as far as 
the banks of the Temi. An Indian chief named 
Javita, one of their auxiliaries, pushed his hostile 
excursions to a distance of more than 345 miles; 
and, being furnished with a patent for drawing the 
natives from the forest “ for the conquest of souls,” 
did not fail to make use of it for selling slaves to 
his allies. When Solano, one of the leaders of the 
expedition just described, arrived at San Fernan- 
do de Atabipo, he seized the adventurer, and by 
treating him with gentleness gained him over to 
the interests of the Spaniards. He was still living 
when the travellers proceeded to the Rio Negro; 
and, as he attended them on all their botanical 
excursions, they obtained much information from 
him. He assured them, that he had seen almost 
all the Indian tribes which inhabit the vast coun- 
tries between the Upper Orinoco, the Rio Negro, 
the Irinida, and the Jupura, devour human flesh. 
Their cannibalism he considered as the effect of a 
system of revenge, as they eat only enemies who 
are made prisoners in battle. 
The climate of the mission of San Antonio de 
Javita is so rainy that the sun and stars are seldom 
to be seen, and the padre informed the travellers 
that it sometimes rained without intermission for 
four or five months. The water that fell in five 
hours on the lst of May, Humboldt found to be 
21 lines in height, and on the 3d of May he col- 
