475 



Missionaries, and that of Christianity, on the na- 

 tional traditions. Nor is it more probable, that 

 the aspect of marine bodies found on the sum- 

 mit of mountains gave birth among the nations 

 of the Oroonoko to the idea of those great inun- 

 dations, which have extinguished for a time the 

 germes of organic life on Our Globe. The coun- 

 try, that extends from the right bank of the 

 Oroonoko to the Cassiquiare and the Rio Negro, 

 is a country of primitive rocks. I saw there one 

 small formation of sandstone, or conglomerate 5 

 but no secondary limestone, no trace of petri- 

 factions. 



A fresh North-East wind carried us full sail 

 toward the boca de la Tortuga. We landed at 

 eleven in the morning in an island, which the 

 Indians of the missions of Uruana considered as 

 their property, and which is placed in the mid- 

 dle of the river. This island is celebrated for 

 the turtle fishery; or, as they say here, the 

 cosecha, the harvest of eggs, that takes place 

 annually. We here found an assemblage of 

 Indians, encamped under huts constructed with 

 palm-leaves. This encampment contained more 

 than three hundred persons. Accustomed since 

 we had left San Fernando de Apure, to see only 

 desert shores, we were singularly struck by the 

 movement that prevailed here. We found, be- 

 side the Guamoes and the Ottomacks of Uruana, 

 who are both considered as savage races not to 



