his neither my uncle
nor the doctor had any intention of allowing them to do; and by
promising a reward to the crew, my uncle induced them to continue
paddling on as fast as at first. They shouted after their fashion when,
emerging from the narrow channel, we entered the broad waters of the
Magdalena. A breeze was setting up the stream; the mast was now stepped
and the sail hoisted, and along we flew at a rapid rate.

We had no longer any fear of being overtaken, though we knew that we had
many dangers to encounter on the voyage. The inhabitants of the banks
were generally in favour of the Republican cause, but we might possibly,
unless we took care, land at a spot occupied by Spanish troops or by
Indians fighting for the King of Spain.

I must pass rapidly over our river-voyage, interesting as it was. The
banks were, in numerous places, exceedingly beautiful, from the
profusion of scarlet and lilac coloured flowers of the convolvulus kind
which covered the trees and bushes, some growing on them, others the
produce of the numberless creepers which hang to the boughs. In some
places we saw the wild cotton-tree hanging over the banks of the river,
with pods full of cotton ripe and bursting. Among other creepers was
the vanilla, entwining itself round the trees and producing a pleasing
effect. The doctor told me that it is used as a spice to flavour
chocolate and various dishes.

After sailing on for some days, we came to a part of the river full of
islands covered with lofty trees and a variety of shrubs, the mimosa
being among the most beautiful. Of the many creepers we observed, one,
called the bejuco, is so strong and tough that the natives use it to
fasten together the rafters of their houses, and the bamboos forming the
covering of the long flat-bottomed boats, called champans, with which
they navigate the upper part of the river Magdalena. Birds of all
kinds, of the most gorgeous plumage, flitted among the trees or flew
over our heads; large scarlet macaws in great numbers, two-and-two, went
squalling by, their brilliant plumage shining in the bright sun; large
black wild turkeys occupied the lower branches of the trees. We
frequently saw the scarlet heads of the macaws peeping out of holes in
the trees in which they make their nests; while flights of
gaily-coloured parrots and green parrakeets were flying backwards and
forwards across the river. Small fish, too, were in such vast shoals in
the shallow