Ch. li SOUTH AMERICA. 197 



through favannahs, woods of plantane, and cacao- 

 trees, we arrived ac the river Ojibar ; and conriniyed 

 our journey, during the whole day, along its banks, 

 fording it no lefs thaii nine times^ though widi no 

 fmall danger, from its rapidity, breadth, depth, and 

 -rocky bottom and, about three or four in the af- 

 ternoon, we halted at a place called Puerto de Muf* 

 chitos. 



All the road from Cjiracol to the Ojibar is fo deep 

 and boggy, that the beafts at every ilep funk alniofi 

 up to their bellies •, but along the banks of that river 

 we found it much more firm and commodious. The 

 name of the place where we were to take up our 

 lodging that night, fufficiently indicates its nature* 

 The houfe had been for fome time forfaken, like thac 

 already mentioned on Guayaquil river, and become a 

 neft of mofchitos of all kinds ^ fo that it was impofr 

 fible to determine which was the word. Some, to 

 avoid the torture of thefe infe£ls, ftripped themfelves^ 

 and went into the river, keeping only their heads 

 above water but the face, being the only part ex- 

 poled, was immediately covered with them \ fo thac 

 thofe who had recourfe to this expedient, were foon 

 forced to deliver up their whole bodies to thefe tor- 

 mcntino; creatures. 



On the 1 5th we continued our journey through a 

 very thick foreil, the end of which brought us once 

 more to the banks of the fame river, which we again 

 forded four times, and rather with more danger than 

 at firil. About five we halted on its banks, at a place 

 called Caluma, or the Indian poll. Here was no 

 houie for lodging in, nor had v;e feen one during the 

 whole day's journey \ but this inconvenience was in 

 ibme meafure removed by the furprizing dexterity of 

 our Indians, who, running into the woods, foon re- 

 turned with branches of trees and vijahua leaves, with 

 which, in lefs than an hour, they ereded feveral huts 

 large enough to contain our whole company j and fo 



. O 2 well 



