72 



renders every thing calmer, for the sun is the 

 principle of all movement." Aristotle had no 

 doubt a vague presentiment of the cause 

 of the phenomenon ; but he attributes to 

 the motion of the atmosphere, and the shock of 

 the particles of air, what seems to be rather 

 owing to abrupt changes of density in the conti- 

 guous strata of air. 



The 16th of April, towards evening, we re- 

 ceived tidings that in less than six hours our 

 boat had passed the rapids, and arrived in good 

 condition in a cove called el Puerto de arriba*, 

 or the Port of the Expedition. u Your boat will 

 not be wrecked, because you carry no merchan- 

 dize, and travel with the monk of the raudales" 

 was said to us sneeringly by a little brown man, 

 whom by his accent we recognized to be a Ca- 

 talan, at the encampment of Pararuma. He was 

 a trader in tortoise-oil, who trafficked with the 

 Indians of the missions, and was no great friend 



et continue aux petites parcelles et au mouvement de la voix 

 de tout loin. La bonace tranquille est resonnante ; au con- 

 traire, la tourmente est sourde. L'agitation de l'air ne permet 

 pas que la forme de la voix, bien expresse et articulee, ar- 

 rive jusqu'au sentiment, mais toujours en 6te et emporte quel- 

 que chose de la force et de la grandeur, Le soleil, ce grand 

 gouvcrneur et capitaine du del; remue jusqu'aux moindres 

 parcelles de l'air ; et, tout aussit6t qu'il se montre, il excite 

 et remue toute chose." (CEuvres de Plutarque, par Amyotj 

 $d. de Broter. 1802, Tom. viii, p. 385.) 

 * Upper harbour. 



