342
WATER-SNAKES.
o r ten feet high ; they are concealed b y a r o w o f palms, a n d small trees with slender trunks, the roots of which are hat lied by the waters. T h e r e are many crocodiles from t h e p o i n t where y o u quit the O r i n o c o to the mission o f San Fernando, and their presence indicates that this part o f the river b e l o n g s to the R i o Guaviare and n o t t o the A t a b a p o . In t h e real bed o f the latter river, above the mission o f San F e r n a n d o , there are n o c r o c o d i l e s : w e find there BOUIO bavat, a great many fresh-water dolphins, b u t n o manatis. W e also seek in vain on these hanks for the t h i c k nosed tapir, the araguato, o r great howling m o n k e y , the zamuro, o r V u l t u r aura, and t h e crested pheasant, k n o w n b y the n a m e o f guacharaca. E n o r m o u s water-snakes, in shape resembling the boa, are unfortunately very c o m m o n , and a r e dangerous to Indians w h o bathe. W e saw them almost from the first day we embarked, s w i m m i n g by the side o f o u r c a n o e ; they were at most twelve or fourteen feet long. T h o jaguars of the banks o f the A t a b a p o and the Tend are large and well fed ; they are said, however, to be less daring than the jaguars o f the O r i n o c o . T h e night, o f the 27th was b e a u t i f u l ; dark c l o u d s passed from time to time over the zenith with extreme rapidity. Not a breath o f wind was felt in the lower strata o f t h e a t m o s p h e r e ; the breeze was at the height o f a thousand toises. I dwell upon this peculiarity ; for the m o v e m e n t we saw was not produced by the counter-currents (from west t o east) which are sometimes t h o u g h t t o be observed in t h e torrid z o n e o n the loftiest mountains o f the Cordilleras ; it was the effect o f a real breeze, an east wind. W e left the conucos of Guapasoso at two o ' c l o c k ; and c o n t i n u e d t o ascend the river toward the south, finding it ( o r rather t h a t part o f its bed which is free from trees) g r o w i n g more a n d m o r e n a r r o w . I t b e g a n t o rain toward sunrise. I n t h e s e forests, which are less inhabited by animals than those o f the O r i n o c o , wo no longer heard the howlings o f the m o n keys. T h e dolphins, or toninas, sported by the side o f o u r boat. A c c o r d i n g to the relation o f Mr. C o l e b r o o k e , the Delphinus gangeticus, which is the fresh-water porpoise o f the Old W o r l d , in like manner accompanies the boats t h a t g o tip towards B e n a r e s ; but, from Benares to the point where the G a n g e s receives the salt waters is only t w o h u n -