568 



the Meta. The Guahiboes, who it is said are 

 some thousands in number, are become so inso- 

 lent, that, at the time of our passage by Cari- 

 chana, they sent word to the missionary, that 

 they would come on rafts, and burn his village. 

 These rafts (valzas), which we had an opportu- 

 nity of seeing, are scarcely three feet broad, and 

 twelve feet long. They carry only two or three 

 Indians; but fifteen or sixteen of these rafts 

 are fastened to each other with the stems of the 

 paullinia, thedolichos, andother creeping plants. 

 It is difficult to conceive how these small craft 

 remain tied together in passing the rapids. 

 Many fugitives from the villages of the Casanare 

 and the Apure have joined the Guahiboes, and 

 taught them the practice of eating beef, and pro- 

 curing hides. The farms of San Vicente, Rubio, 

 and San Antonio, have lost great numbers of 

 their horned cattle by the incursions of the In- 

 dians. They also prevent travellers, as far as 

 the junction of the Casanare, from sleeping on 

 the shore in going up the Meta. It often hap- 

 pens while the waters are low, that the little 

 traders of New Grenada, some of whom still 

 visit the encampment of Pararuma, are killed 

 by the poisoned arrows of the Guahiboes. 



From the mouth of the Meta the Oroonoko 

 appeared to us to be freer from shoals and 

 rocks. We navigated in a channel five hundred 

 toises broad. The Indians remained rowing in 



