DEPARTURE PROM SAN FERNANDO. 
151 
at San Fernando. The good Capuchin, Fray Jose Maria de 
Malaga, gave us sherry wine, oranges, and tamarinds, tc 
make cooling beverages. We could easily foresee that a 
roof constructed of palm-tree leaves would become exces- 
sively hot on a large river, where we were almost always 
exposed to the perpendicular rays of the sun. The Indians 
relied less on the provision we had purchased, than on their 
nooks and nets. We took also some fire-arms, which we 
tound in general use as far as the cataracts ; but farther 
south the great humidity of the air prevents the mission- 
ar ies from using them. The Rio Apure abounds in fish, 
manatis, and turtles, the eggs of which afford an aliment 
more nutritious than agreeable to the taste. Its banks are 
mhabited by an innumerable quantity of birds, among which 
Jme pauxi and the guacharaca , which may be called the tur- 
heys and pheasants of those countries, are found to be the 
most useful. Their flesh appeared to bo harder and less 
'' bite than that of the gallinaceous tribe in Europe, because 
jmey use much more muscular exercise. We did not forget 
to add to our provision, fishing-tackle, fire-arms, and a few 
^asks of brandy, to serve as a medium of barter with the 
Indians of the Orinoco. 
W e departed from San Fernando on the doth of March, 
ut four in the afternoon. The weather was extremely hot ; 
pm thermometer rising in the shade to 34°, though the 
meeze blew very strongly from the south-east. Owing to 
r ms contrary wind we could not set our sails. We were 
accompanied, in the whole of this voyage on the Apure, the 
Orinoco, and the Rio Negro, by the brother-in-law of the 
-Oyernor of the province of Varinas, Don Nicolas Soto, 
w b° had recently arrived from Cadiz. Desirous of visiting 
countries so calculated to excite the curiosity of a Euro- 
P ea n, .ho did not hesitate to confine himself with us during 
eyenty-four days in a narrow boat infested with mosquitos, 
m amiable disposition and gav temper often helped to 
wt n US b° r K°t the sufferings of a voyage w T hich was not 
holly exempt from danger. We passed the mouth of the 
bvT?°’ a,R coasted the island of the same name, formed 
7 the Apure and the Guarico. This island is in fact only 
\ery low spot of ground, bordered by two great rivers, 
0 h of which, at a little distance from each other, fall into 
