dors which they exhaled (for they
were all aromatic) highly delighted us, and we were rejoiced
in regaling our senses.

"We rowed along the shore in the boats to see if we could
find any suitable place for landing; but, after toiling from
morning till night, we found no way of passage, the land
being low and densely covered with trees. We concluded,
therefore, to return to the ships and make an attempt to
land at some other spot.

"One very remarkable circumstance we observed in these seas,
which was that, at fifteen leagues distance from the land,
we found the water fresh, like that of a river, and we
filled all our empty casks with it. Sailing in a southerly
direction, still along the coast, we saw two larger rivers
issuing from the land; and I think that these two rivers, by
reason of their magnitude, caused the freshness of the water
in the sea adjoining. Seeing that the coast was invariably
low, we determined to enter one of these rivers with the
boats, and did so, after furnishing them with provisions for
four days, and twenty men well armed. We entered the river
and rowed up it nearly two days, making a distance of about
eighteen leagues; but we found the low land still continuing
and so thickly covered with trees that a bird could scarcely
fly through them.

"We saw signs that the inland parts of the country were
inhabited; nevertheless, as our vessels were anchored in a
dangerous place, in case an adverse wind should arise, at
the end of two days we concluded to return. Here we saw an
immense number of birds, including parrots in great variety,
some crimson in color, others green and lemon, others
entirely green, and others again that were black and
flesh-colored [these last were probably toucans]. And oh!
the songs of other species of birds, so sweet and so
melodious, as we heard them among the trees, that we often
lingered, listening to their charming music. The trees, too,
were so beautiful and smelled so sweetly that we almost
imagined ourselves in a terrestrial paradise; yet none of
those trees, or the fruit of them, were similar to anything
in our part of the world.

"On our way back we saw many people of various descriptions
fishing in the river. Having arrived at our ships, we raised
anchor and