VOYAGE UP THE RIO NEGRO 261 
suppose that all these figures are the work of the 
same epoch. What is certain is that for some time 
(possibly a hundred years) such has ceased to be 
executed. 
I protest against the term figure- or picture- 
writing^'' which supposes a hieroglyphical interpre- 
tation attached to the pictures such as I am 
convinced they do not possess. 
A little farther on are more figures on three 
large contiguous granite blocks, almost paraboloidal 
in form, which stand on the right bank of the river. 
Here is the representation of a large cayman or 
alligator seizing a deer. 
Pestana told us that the greatest number and 
variety of figures were on some rocks in a parana- 
miri (side-channel) whose mouth we passed a little 
farther on. These rocks are called Tucanaroka 
or the Toucan's nest. . . . 
Dec. 4. — This morning at 8 we reached Cabu- 
quena (Moureira of the maps), standing on the 
summit of a range of red earth cliffs. I went on 
shore to try to procure farinha, of which we found 
great scarcity on the river, but could purchase only 
one basket of a man named Jacobo, a great voyager 
on these rivers. He had descended and reascended 
the Orinoco ; was at Esmeralda when Schomburgk 
arrived there ; says that this traveller should have 
found no difficulty in reaching the sources of the 
Orinoco, as he himself shortly afterwards ascended 
the Orinoco a month's journey above Esmeralda, till 
his montarias could travel no farther and the river 
might almost have been leaped over. He found the 
Guarahibo Indians quite pacific. They make great 
use of tururf bark for caulking their canoes. He 
