ARRIVAL AT CUMANA. 



253 



they are stopped by the banks. This could not be 

 done in most of the South American rivers infested 

 by those animals. There is no Indian suburb as at 

 Cumana, and the few natives seen in the town are 

 from the neighbouring missions, or inhabitants of 

 huts scattered in the plain. They are of a mixed 

 race, indolent, and addicted to drinking. 



The packet-boats from Corunna to Havana and 

 Mexico had been due three months, so that they 

 were supposed to have been taken by the English 

 cruisers ; when our travellers, anxious to reach Cu- 

 mana, in order to avail themselves of the first op- 

 portunity for Vera Cruz, hired an open vessel. It 

 was laden with cacao, and carried on a contraband 

 trade with the island of Trinidad ; for which reason 

 the proprietor thought he had nothing to fear from 

 the British ; but they had scarcely reached the nar- 

 row channel between the continent and the islands 

 of Borracha and the Chimanas, when they met an 

 armed boat, which, hailing them at a great distance, 

 fired some musket-shot at them. It belonged to a 

 privateer of Halifax, and the travellers were forth- 

 with carried on board ; but while Humboldt was ne- 

 gotiating in the cabin, a noise was heard upon deck, 

 and something was whispered to the master, who 

 instantly left him in consternation. An English 

 sloop of war, the Hawk, had come up, and made 

 signals to the latter to bring to ; which he not having 

 promptly obeyed, a gun was fired, and a midshipman 

 sent to demand the reason. Humboldt accompanied 

 this officer to the sloop, where Captain Garnier re- 

 ceived him with the greatest kindness. Next day 

 they continued their voyage, and at nine in the 

 morning reached the Gulf of Cariaco. The castle 

 of San Antonio, the forest of cactuses, the scattered 

 huts of the Guayquerias, and all the features of a 

 landscape well known to them, rose upon the view ; 

 and as they landed at Cumana they were greeted by 

 their numerous friends, who were overjoyed to find 



