TO CATARACTS OF MAYPURES 457 
peak, called the Troncon, forms the southern 
termination. These mountains scarcely yield in 
elevation to those of Esmeralda, and are equally 
picturesque. Looking north, the course of the 
Orinoco can be traced nearly to Atures. 
Both in ascending and descending the rapids, 
boats are unladen and the cargo carried overland. 
From the upper part to the lower the distance may 
be about four miles. Approaching the river near 
the lower end of the rapids we pass over a moist 
turfy plain quite resembling a peat moor in 
England ; it is traversed by small streams, on the 
banks of which are a few marsh plants, the most 
frequent being an Aracea with erect, long, lanceo- 
late leaves. Instead of our heaths, but not near so 
pretty, we have tufts of a procumbent purple- 
flowered Cuphea. Between this plain and the 
river the track passes over a low bald cerro on 
which the scattered vegetation is very interesting, 
and it is from near the summit of this that (as 
Humboldt mentions) a view is obtained of nearly 
the whole course of the rapids. One of the most 
interesting plants on the cerro is the slender 
bamboo of which the Indians make their carizos or 
pipes on which they play to their dancers. Here 
too, and especially on the higher cerros near May- 
pures, there are considerable quantities of a Bar- 
bacenia with dichotomous stems 3 to 6 feet high, 
long pungent leaves at the apex of the branches, 
and solitary white, tubular, very odoriferous flowers 
4 to 5 inches long. It is the first I have seen of 
the tribe in a wild state. ^ 
^ [It is allied to the Vellozias (Haemodoracese), curious arboreal endogens 
allied to Bromeliads, and especially common in the highlands of BraziL — Ed.] 
