IN HUMBOLDT'S COUNTRY 391 
suppose it is less than 300 feet above the river. It 
consists of one large abrupt mass and three or four 
small broken ones to the right, of which two erect 
ones side by side, and each broken across above the 
middle, are called "varong hembra." There are 
also, as at Sao Gabriel, many large blocks strewn 
about the base, under which nestle the hordes of 
bats. Amongst these rocks climb Arums in such 
quantities that it is scarcely possible to thread 
Fig. 33. — RocA de Guanari, Casiquiari, as it atpears from some 
MILES LOWER DOWN. (R. S.) 
through their pendulous roots. There are a great 
many Paxiuba palms, but I found nothing new. 
I stayed here till noon of December i to make a 
stage (trocha) for the rowers. At 5 p.m. we reached 
Buena Vista, a small place of some six houses. 
On December 2 we reached Santa Cruz about 
sunset. This pueblo is nearly as large as Solano. 
There are a good many people in it, but neither fish 
nor fowl to be bought. 
On December 3 we reached Quirabuena after 
sunset. There are about eight houses and a church. 
The soil is a red loam as at Marabitanas, the port of 
Tomo, and partly at Sao Gabriel. There is much 
lofty forest quite near, and I saw several Seringa 
trees. There were great numbers of Piassaba 
palms, with dead panicles looking like those of 
Jara. There were also beds of a pretty Lepido- 
caryum (a palm) with vermilion flowers. 
