IN HUMBOLDT'S COUNTRY 437 
I already knew that everything was in confusion 
at head-quarters in Venezuela, and that it was prob- 
able nearly all the officials would be changed 
throughout the country ; though I found that orders 
had been given by the Comisario to prepare a 
quantity of mandiocca in Esmeralda, Cunucunuma, 
and in other places higher up the Orinoco — proof 
that he was sincere in his proposal. Some time 
afterwards, when I was on the Pacimoni, I received 
a letter from him, informing me that he was no 
longer Comisario, and that he could not leave his 
post until the arrival of his successor, which, in 
fact, has not taken place until within the present 
month (March). I would willingly have waited 
some time in Esmeralda, but the Orinoco continued 
to fall rapidly and I began to fear I should not be 
able to enter the Cunucunuma ; so after a stay of 
four days I bade adieu to Esmeralda and its mos- 
quitoes. It occupied us through the 28th and till 
noon of the 29th to descend the Orinoco as far 
as the mouth of the Cunucunuma. We entered 
the latter, which may be compared to the upper 
half of the Casiquiari for breadth and depth ; but 
the water is black, not white, and yet notwithstand- 
ing this, mosquitoes are quite as plentiful as on 
the Orinoco. The Indians inhabiting the river 
Cunucunuma are Maquiritares, and I hoped to be 
able to conduct my piragoa as far as their first 
pueblo, which is at the foot of the third raudal 
(rapid). 
We reached the first raudal on the first day of 
the present year (1854). There was just water 
enough for my piragoa, which we dragged up with 
some difficulty. At 8 on the following morning 
