4§ TRAVELS IN 
reafon of the mighty floods of the river, with col- 
lected force, prefTing through the firft hilly afcents^ 
where the mores on each fide prefent to view rocky 
cliffs rifing af>ove the furface of the water, in nearly 
flat horizontal maffes, warned fmooth by the de- 
fending floods, and which appear to be a. compo- 
sition, or concrete, of fandy lime-ftone) I refigned 
my bark to the friendly current, referving to my- 
felf the controul of the helm. My progrefs was 
rendered delightful by the fylvan elegance of the 
groves, cheerful meadows, and high diftant forefts, 
which in grand order prefented themfelves to view. 
The winding banks of the river, and the high pro- 
jecting promontories, unfolded frefh fcenes of gran- 
deur and fublimity. The deep forefts and diftant 
hills re-echoed the cheering focial lowings of do- 
medic herds. The air was filled with the loud 
and ffirill whooping of the wary {harp-fighted crane. 
Behold, on yon decayed, defoliated cyprefs tree, 
the folitary wood-pelican, dejectedly perched upon 
its utmoft elevated fpire ; he there, like an ancient 
venerable fage, fets himfelf up as a mark of deri- 
fion, for the fafety of his kindred tribes. The 
crying-bird, another faithful guardian, fcreaming 
in the gloomy thickets, warns the feathered tribes 
of approaching peril ; and the plumage of the fwift 
failing fquadrons of Spanifh curlews (white as the 
immaculate robe of innocence) gleams in the ceru- 
lean Ikies. 
Thusfecure and tranquil, and meditating on the 
marvellous fcenes of primitive nature, as yet un- 
modified by the hand of man, I gently defcended 
the peaceful ftrearn, on whofe polifhed furface were 
depicted the mutable fhadows from its penfile banks ; 
whilft myriads of finny inhabitants fported in its pel- 
lucid floods. 
The 
