632 



torrid zone, amid the noise of the Raudales. 

 M. Bonpland resolved to leave me in the island 

 with don Nicolas Sotto*, and swim across the 

 branches of the river, that are separated by the 

 granitic dikes. He hoped to reach the forest, 

 and seek assistance at Atures from Father Zea, 

 We dissuaded him with difficulty from under- 

 taking this hazardous enterprise. He knew 

 little of the labyrinth of small channels, into 

 which the Oroonoko is divided. Most of them 

 have strong whirlpools, and what passed before 

 our eyes, while we were deliberating on our 

 situation, proved sufficiently, that the natives 

 had deceived us respecting the absence of croco- 

 diles in the cataracts. The little monkeys, 

 which we had carried along with us for months, 

 were deposited on the point of our island. Wet 

 by the rains, and sensible of the least lowering 

 of the temperature, these delicate animals sent 

 forth plaintive cries, and attracted to the spot 

 two crocodiles, the size and leaden colour of 

 which denoted their great age. Their unex^ 

 pected appearance made us reflect on the dan- 

 ger we had run in bathing, at our first passing 

 by the mission of Atures, in the middle of the 

 RaudaL After long waiting, the Indians at 

 length arrived at the close of day. The natural 

 coffer-dam, by which they had endeavoured to 



v* See vol. iv, chap. IB, p. 416. 



