(>03 



ings of the Oroonoko. Setting apart the time 

 which we spent on the shore in preparing the 

 rice and plaintains that served us for food, we 

 took but thirty-five hours in going from Esme- 

 ralda to Santa Barbara. The chronometer gave 

 me for the longitude of the latter mission 70° 3' ; 

 we had therefore made near four miles an hour, 

 a velocity (of V05 toise in a second) which was 

 partly owing to the current, and partly to the 

 action of the oars. The Indians assert, that the 

 crocodiles do not go up the Oroonoko above the 

 mouth of the Rio Jao, and that the manatees 

 are not even found above the cataract of May- 

 pures. It is easy to be deceived respecting the 

 first of these two animals ; the traveller most 

 habituated to see them may mistake a trunk of 

 a tree twelve or fifteen feet long for a crocodile 

 swimming with part of the head and tail only 

 above the water. 



The mission of Santa Barbara is situated a 

 little to the west of the mouth of the Rio Ven- 

 tuari, or Venituari, which was examined in 1800 

 by Father Francisco Valor. We found in this 

 small village of one hundred and twenty inha- 

 bitants some traces of industry: but the produce 

 of this industry is of little profit to the natives ; 

 it is reserved for the monks, or as they say in 

 those countries, for the church and the convent. 

 We were assured, that a great lamp of massive 

 silver, purchased at the expense of the neophytes, 



