JUNCTION OF THE KHNDANAMA WITH THE PAKAMH. 
Latitude, 3° 30' N. Longitude, 65° 34' W. 
WE continued the ascent of the river Parima from the Zapara settlement, in latitude 3° 16' N., to the confluence of the Arekatsa, which 
falls into that river in latitude 3° 44' N., and following a north-west direction, ascended the mountains which divide the Merewari and 
its tributaries from the Arekatsa and Parima, and entered the country of the Guinau and Maiongkong Indians, many of whose tribes 
live in a perfect state of nudity, but to whom, in spite of their savage state, hospitality was no stranger. They had no knowledge 
of Esmeralda, or mount Duida, by those names, though on further explanation I concluded that Esmeralda must he their Mirara, and 
the Duida, mount Yeonamari. Under these circumstances I determined, as soon as my invalids (several of the Indians who had 
accompanied me) were convalescent after their fever, to cross the peninsula formed by the Merewari, and to proceed westward in 
search of the sources of the Orinoco. 
We had already entered the fluvial system of the Orinoco, and found all the streams which we crossed, flowing south-westward 
into the Ocamo, when our Indian guides pointed out one of the mountains forming part of a chain, the blue outlines of which we saw 
to the southward, where they said the Orinoco and Parima derived their sources ; we therefore had reason to hope that we should reach 
them in a few days, but the evening of the 1st of February put an end to our anxious expectations. We arrived at a Maiongkong 
settlement, the inhabitants of which we found in great consternation, and about to fly from the place in consequence of the massacre 
of twenty of their tribe by the Kirishanas, who inhabit the mountains between the Orinoco and Ocamo, and who had treacherously 
fallen upon them, when by invitation they had been on their way to visit them for the purposes of traflic. The same savages had 
immediately afterwards surprised a Maiongkong settlement, only a day’s journey from where we then were, and with the exception of 
a child, who had found means to hide herself, killed every person. These outrages had caused a general panic, and my party of 
Maiongkongs became infected with the same fears to such an extent, that not only did they peremptorily refuse to go forward, but made 
hasty preparations for taking to their heels and leaving us to our fate. W^e were thus obliged, most reluctantly, to turn back at the 
very threshold of the sources of the Orinoco. However, their true position is no longer a geographical problem, a single glance on the 
map where my route is delineated will show, that all uncertainty as to their situation is reduced to within the narrow limits of less 
than thirty miles. 
I now determined to attempt reaching Esmeralda by a long circuit to the northward, by which the Indians considered themselves 
safer from their enemies. It was a most wearisome and monotonous route, over steep mountains and through forests so dense and 
high that nothing was visible beyond our path. The Uranias, Heliconias, and Palm trees vanished, and on the summit of these 
elevations we found two species of Lichens (Cladonia rangiferina and reticulata), of a pure white colour, which thickly covered the 
ground, and gave the appearance of a heavy fall of snow. We crossed the river Paramu, or Padamo, on the 10th of February, and 
remained for some days at a Maiongkong settlement near mount Marawaca. During our stay I found an opportunity of ascertaining 
to what genus of plants those remarkable reeds belong, of which the Indians make their blow-pipes, and which are from fifteen to 
seventeen feet long, entirely free from any thing like a knot in that length, quite straight and smooth, and perfectly cylindrical. I found 
that they grew at the foot of Marawaca, and from specimens which were brought to me in flower, they proved to be a new species 
of Arundinaria. 
We started from the Maiongkong settlement on the 15th of February, and embarked on the Paramu, which we followed in a 
southern course. Somewhat below the river Puruniama a series of falls commenced, where we met with a serious disaster. One of 
the small canoes or corials, in passing a fall, filled with water and sunk, and though the corial was recovered, her load was almost 
entirely lost. Among other things was a small quantity of salt, which, after having been deprived of that condiment for several 
weeks, we had found an opportunity of buying at an enormous price from some Indians. It was a great punishment to us Europeans 
who were accustomed to salt, and for my part I freely confess, that of all privations which we naturally suffered after being for such a 
long period away from all traces of civilization, I felt none so bitterly as the want of salt. With the corial likewise sunk all our 
plates and kitchen utensils, which, although not of the most valuable metal, had rendered us the same service as the most costly would 
have done, and what was worse, could not be replaced. A similar accident shortly afterwards befel another canoe, and the river Paramu 
