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pating by means of a sharp bone the little mass 

 of coagulated blood, that forms the centre of 

 every sting, and gives the skin a speckled ap- 

 pearance. One of the most barbarous nations of 

 the Oroonoko, that of the Otomacs, is acquainted 

 with the use of moschetto curtains {mosquiteros) 

 formed of a tissue of fibres of the palm tree, mu- 

 richi. We had lately seen, that at Higuerote, 

 on the coast of Caraccas, the people of a copper 

 colour sleep buried in the sand. In the villages 

 of the Rio Magdalena the Indians often invited 

 us to stretch ourselves with them on ox-skins, 

 near the church, in the middle of the plaza 

 grande, where they had assembled all the cows 

 in the neighbourhood. The proximity of cattle 

 gives some repose to man. The Indians of the 

 Upper Oroonoko and the Cassiquiare, seeing 

 that Mr. Bonpland could not prepare his herbal, 

 on account of the continual torment of the mos- 

 chettoes, invited him to enter their ovens (hor- 

 nitos). Thus they call little chambers, without 

 doors or windows, into which they creep hori- 

 zontally through a very low opening. When 

 they have driven away the insects by means 

 of a fire of wet brush-wood, which emits a great 

 deal of smoke, they close the opening of the 

 oven. The absence of moschettoes is purchased 

 dearly enough by the excessive heat of stagnant 

 air, and the smoke of a torch of copal, which 

 lights the oven during your stay in it. Mr. 



