232 
ASPECT OF TEE INDIANS. 
exceedingly black ; and the hoarse sounds of the cascades of 
the Orinoco mingled with the rolling of the distant thunder. 
Early in the morning of the 13th April we passed the 
rapids of Tabaje, and again disembarked. Father Zea, who 
accompanied us, desired to perform mass in the new Mission 
of San Borja, established two years before. We there found 
six houses inhabited by uncatechised G-uahibos. They differ 
in nothing from the wild Indians. Their eyes, which are 
large and black, have more vivacity than those of the Indians 
who inhabit the ancient missions. We in vain offered them 
brandy; they would not even taste it. The faces of all the 
young girls were marked with round black spots ; like the 
patches by which the ladies of Europe formerly imagined 
they set off the whiteness of their skins. The bodies of the 
Guahibos were not painted. Several of them had beards, ot 
which they seemed proud; and, taking us by the chin, 
showed us by signs, that they were made like us. Their 
shape was in general slender. I was again struck, as I had 
been among the Salives and the Macos, with the little 
uniformity of features to be found among the Indians of the 
Orinoco. Their look is sad and gloomy ; but neither steru 
nor ferocious. Without having any notion of the practices 
of the Christian religion, they behaved with the utmost 
decency at church. The Indians love to exhibit themselves ; 
and wiil submit temporarily to any restraint or subjection, 
provided they are sure of drawing attention. At the moment 
of the consecration, they made signs to one another, to 
indicate beforehand that the priest was going to raise the 
chalice to his lips. With the exception of this gesture, they 
remained motionless and in imperturbable apathy. 
The interest with which wc examined these poor savage® 
became perhaps the cause of the destruction of the mission. 
Some among them, who preferred a wandering life to the 
labours of agriculture, persuaded the rest to return to the 
plains of the Meta. They told them, “ that the white men 
would come back to San Borja, to take them away in the 
boats, and sell them as poitos, or slaves, at Angostura 
The Guahibos awaited the news of our return from the Bin 
Negro by the Cassiquiare; and when they heard that 
were arrived at the first great cataract, that of Atures, they 
all deserted, and fled to the savannahs that border the 
