ASCENT OF THE RIO TEMI. 



223 



removal to one of the missions of the Upper Ori- 

 noco, where, despairing of ever seeing her beloved 

 children, and refusing all kind of nourishment, she 

 died, a victim to the bigotry and barbarity of wretches 

 blasphemously calling themselves the ministers of a 

 religion which inculcates universal benevolence. 



Above the mouth of the Guasucavi the travellers 

 entered the Rio Temi, which runs from south to 

 north. The ground was flat and covered with trees, 

 over which rose the pirijao palm with its clusters of 

 peach-like fruits, and the Mauritia aculeata, with fan- 

 shaped leaves pointing downwards, and marked with 

 concentric circles of blue and green. Wherever the 

 river forms sinuosities the forest is flooded to a great 

 extent ; and, to shorten the route, the boat frequently 

 pushed through the woods along open avenues of 

 water four or five feet broad. An Indian furnished 

 with a large knife stood at the bow continually cut- 

 ting the branches which obstructed the passage. In 

 the thickest part of it a shoal of fresh-water dolphins 

 issued from beneath the trees and surrounded the 

 vessel. At five in the evening the travellers, after 

 sticking for some time between two trunks, and ex- 

 periencing great difficulties, regained the proper 

 channel, and passed the night near one of the co- 

 lumnar masses of granite which occasionally protrude 

 from the level surface. 



Setting out before daybreak, they remained in the 

 bed of the river till sunrise, when, to avoid the force 

 of the current, they again entered the inundated 

 forest ; and soon arriving at the junction of the Temi 

 with the Tuamini, they followed the latter towards 

 the south-west. At eleven they reached .San Anto- 

 nio de Javita, where they had the pleasure of finding 

 a very intelligent and agreeable monk : though they 

 were obliged to remain nearly a week, while the 

 boat was carried by land to the Rio Negro. For 

 two days the travellers had felt an extraordinary 

 irritation on the joints of the fingers and on the back 



