Chap. II. 
UPROAR OF LIFE. 
141 
zonum), a most delicious fish, which, next to the 
Tucunare and the Pescada, is most i 
esteemed by the natives. The Curi- 
mata seemed to prefer the middle of 
the stream, where the waters were 
agitated beneath the little cascade. 
The weather was now settled and 
dry, and the river sank rapidly — six 
inches in twenty-four hours. In this 
remote and solitary spot I can say that 
I heard for the first and almost the 
only time the uproar of life at sun- 
set, which Humboldt de- 
scribes as having witnessed 
towards the sources of the 
Orinoco, but which is un- 
known on the banks of the 
larger rivers. The noises of 
animals began just as the 
sun sank behind the trees 
after a sweltering afternoon, 
leaving the sky above of 
the intensest shade of blue. 
Two flocks of howling 
monkeys, one close to our 
canoe, the other about a 
furlong distant, filled the 
echoing forests with their 
dismal roaring. Troops of 
parrots, including the hya- 
cinthine macaw we were 
Sarapo (Carapus.) 
Needle-fish 
(Hemaramphus). 
