BOLDNESS 03? JAGUARS. 
195 
, bordered by mountains. They are very dangerous for 
deeply Laden, and without decks. We bad escaped 
a by miracle. To the reproaches that were heaped on 
o* Pilot for having kept too near the wind, he replied with 
k® Phlegmatic coolness peculiar to the Indians, observing 
to a bbe wou hl find sun enough on those banks 
dry their papers.” We lost only one book — the first 
fall 1116 °*' * & e nera Plantarum ’ of Sehreber — which had 
jj. overboard. ^ At nightfall we landed on a barren island 
tlle middle. of the river, near the Mission of Uruana. 
supped in a clear moonlight, seating ourselves on 
th i ^ ar 2 e turtle-shells that were foimd scattered about 
tk beac ^‘ ^ 7 l' a t satisfaction we felt on finding ourselves 
s ^ S com fortably landed! We figured to ourselves the 
, of a man who had been saved alone from ship- 
8t ck, wandering on these desert shores, meeting at every 
j t P With other rivers which fall into the Orinoco, and whick 
^dangerous to pass by swimming, on account of the 
°Ura i e crocodiles and caribe fishes. We pictured to 
of ,f Ves such a man, alive to the most tender affections 
thuf? soul, ignorant of the fate of his companions, and 
itdul " more them than of himself. If we love to 
itsti 6 suc ^ melancholy meditations, it is because, when 
u ec Reaped from danger, we seem to feel as it were the 
Vr e h as , lt; y of strong emotions. Our minds were full of what 
Qi lt n ?d just witnessed. There are periods in life when, with- 
it ln g discouraged, the future appears more uncertain. 
a Ud oul y three days since we had entered the Orinoco, 
rive rs bere - ret remained three months for us to navigate 
>U .^cumbered with rocks, and in boats smaller than that 
j^ch we had so nearly perished, 
on y'" ni ght was intensely hot. We lay upon skins spread 
fastej, 6 ground, there being no trees to which we could 
bicr en P? 1 hammocks. The torments of the mosquitos 
?n era every day ; and we were surprised to find that 
jagu ars s P°t our fires did not prevent the approach of tho 
‘"ateq ' Jcbcy swam across the arm of the river that sepa- 
thei r c S h°ni the mainland. Towards morning we heal'd 
We ha^ 10 ? ', ei y near - They had come to the island where 
Co Per-i ,'l e<a „ e night. The Indians told us that, during the 
e ctin 
'8 of the turtles’ eggs, tigers are always more fire- 
o a 
