433 



find in that vast solitude a man, who believes 

 himself of European race, and knows no other 

 shelter than the shade of a tree, with all the 

 vain pretensions, all the hereditary prejudices, 

 all the errors, of long civilization ! 



April the 1st. At sunrise we quitted signior 

 don Ignacio, and signora donna Isabella his 

 wife. The weather was cooler, for the thermo- 

 meter, which generally kept up in the day to 30° 

 or 35°, had sunk to 24°. The temperature of 

 the river was little changed, it continued con- 

 stantly at 26° or 27°. The current carried with 

 it an enormous quantity of trunks of trees. We 

 might imagine, that on ground entirely smooth, 

 and where the eye cannot distinguish the 

 least hill, the river would have formed by the 

 force of it's current a channel in a straight line. 

 A glance at the map, which I traced by the 

 compass, will prove the contrary. The two 

 banks, worn by the waters, do not furnish 

 an equal resistance ; and almost imperceptible 

 inequalities of the level suffice to produce 

 great sinuosities. Yet below the Joval, where 

 the bed of the river enlarges a little, it forms 

 a channel that appears perfectly straight, and 

 is shaded . on each side by very tall trees. 

 This part of the river is called Cano Rlcco. I 

 found it to be one hundred and thirty-six toises 

 broad. We passed a low island, inhabited by 

 thousands of flamingoes, rose-coloured spoonbills 



VOL. IV. 2 F 



