Curiosity stronger Than Common Sense. 
181 
«ome Indian, seized with fever, muat have di unk out of a puddle into 
which «evei-al fever-barlv trees had fallen, and so j^ot freed from his 
fever: according to La Condaniine, although he himself doubted the 
truth of the statement, it was the Pumas who drew men's attenti<ui to it, 
because at the annual attack of fever to which this species of aninuil is 
subject, the disease is cured by the aninuü devouring the bark, — and a 
lot more nonsense of that description. Apart from all the self-contiicting 
statements of the oldest authors, of whom the one maintains thait the 
aborigines Avere cognisant of its curative proi)erties and applied it in 
cases of fever already before the arrival of the Spaniards, while the 
other denies it — to be sure. La Condamine shares the latter, altliough 
corroborating the former view — this much has become a])[»arent thioiigh 
the experiences of more recent trav<'ll<'rs, iiarticiilarly those of Alexander 
von Ilumboldti', tliat we: have to tliauk the I'hi ropeaus and not the 
autochthonous mitives of America for the (lis<-overy of this efticacious 
remedy. Our celebrated explorer found the natives of Guiana just as 
ignorant concerning the properties of the l)ark as my brother discovered 
them to be on his first journey, and noAv here again we met with Arekunas 
and Macusis who Avere living in the midst of these very treeä while at 
the same time they Avere l;eing attacked l)y fever. I have only inter- 
polated these fcAV renuirks with a view to titting in our own experiences 
AA'ith those already known. We gave quininei to fever-stricken Indians 
and earned their everlasting thanks, yet within a few ])aces from their 
bed of sickness the essentials of the remedy were flourishing in super- 
abundance. 
423. On our return to Barapang Ave found several Indians from the 
next settlement Avho on account of the unhappy Avar Avere unfortunately 
unable to bring anything but a few liunches of plantains and bananas: 
our midday meal to-day consiste<l of as usual a very meagre dish of roast 
plantains. The silent resigmition^ to our lot had hoAvever to receive its 
reward during the course of the afternoon, Avhen a fresh party of 
strangers brought us not only some ncAvly made cassava cakes, but also 
two fowls: the former was diAdded amongst our carriers who were daily 
turning more and more into skeletons, the latter which the Indians, 
although more tormented Avith the ])angs of liunger, refused to eat, Ave 
took possession of oui'selves. Xotwithstanding that all the hopes that 
the Indians, Avho had attached themselves to our party since leaving 
Torong-Yauwise, may have cherished with regard to the next settlements 
had hitherto been deceiA^d. several Indians from l>arapang accompanied 
us next morning in s])ite of their lieing fully aAvare that Ave should find 
equally as feAV provisions at Roraima. Curiosity however was stronger 
than their commonsense. 
421. Our road took a course X. by E., and after an hour's march we 
reached the river Kue Avhich came from N. by W. After an easy crossing 
of its bed and banks that Avere bordered with a rich growth of vegetation 
amongst AAiiich a tree, Pcridiinn fm-iif/incu ni Schott., owing to its 
peculiar covering of flowers, especially attracted our attention, we went 
t— Alexander von Humboldt : liber die China-Wälder, Berliner Miij^aziu p. 59. 
