CATARACTS OF ATURES. 



243 



seemed illuminated by the great nebulae of the south- 

 ern hemisphere. Multitudes of insects diffused a 

 reddish light over the air. The ground, profusely 

 covered with plants, shone with those living and 

 moving lights as if the stars of the firmament had 

 fallen upon the savanna. On leaving the cave, we 

 repeatedly stopped to admire the beauty of this ex- 

 traordinary place. The scented vanilla and festoons 

 of bignonise decorated its entrance ; while the sum- 

 mit of the overhanging hill was crowned by arrowy 

 palm-trees that waved murmuring in the air." 



Similar caves are said to exist to the north of 

 the cataracts ; but tbe tombs of the Indians of the 

 Orinoco have not been sufficiently examined, be- 

 cause they do not, like those of Peru, contain 

 treasures. 



The travellers staid at the mission of Atures only 

 so long as was necessary for the passage of their 

 canoe through the great falls. The priest, Bernardo 

 Zea, who had accompanied them to the Rio Negro, 

 remained behind. His ague had not been removed ; 

 but its attacks had become an habitual evil, to which 

 he now paid little attention. Fevers of a more de- 

 structive kind prevailed in the establishment, inso- 

 much that the greater part of the inmates were con- 

 fined to their hammocks. Again embarked on the 

 Orinoco the travellers ventured to descend the lower 

 half of the rapids of Atures, landing here and there 

 to climb the rocks, among which the golden manakin 

 (Pipra rupicola), one of the most beautiful birds of 

 the tropics, builds its nest. At the Raudalito of 

 Carucari, they entered some of the caverns formed 

 by the piling up of granite blocks, and enjoyed the 

 extraordinary spectacle of the river dashing in a 

 sheet of foam over their heads. The boat was to 

 coast the eastern bank of a narrow island, and take 

 them in after a long circuit ; but it did not make its 

 appearance, and night approaching, together with a 

 tremendous thunder-storm, M. Bonpland was de- 



