aribbean Sea. Off one of these mouths we
brought up, my uncle proposing to land with our property, and ascertain
the places held by the Republicans at which the _Flying Fish_ could
safely discharge her cargo. We were afterwards to ascend the stream as
far as it was navigable, a voyage which would occupy us some weeks. The
spot where we were to leave the river was about three days' journey by
land from Santa Fe de Bogota, the capital of the province of New
Granada. After the boat had put us on shore, she was to return to the
schooner with the information we could obtain.

Wishing good-bye to our friends, who gave us three cheers, we shoved
off; the captain crying out, "Be smart, my lads, and be back as soon as
possible; I don't quite like the look of the weather."

"Ay, ay, sir!" was the answer; and we pulled away towards the passage,
which led into one of the large lakes through which the river Magdalena
passes.

There was some sea on the bar, but not sufficient to make us hesitate to
attempt it. On we pulled, the water foaming and leaping up. As we
approached the more dangerous part, I saw my uncle looking astern at a
large roller roaring up after us. "Pull for your lives, my lads!" he
shouted. The men gave way, and though the water rushed over the quarter
and half-filled the boat, the stern lifted, and shooting forward, in
another minute we were on the calm surface of the lake.

We pulled up, keeping towards its western shore. It was fringed with a
broad belt of mangrove-trees standing on numberless branching roots
which extended far into the water. So dense and tall were these trees
that the view beyond them was completely shut out, while not a spot of
dry ground appeared which would have afforded us a landing-place had we
wished to get on shore. The scenery, indeed, was altogether
unattractive and gloomy,--very different from that which I had expected
to see.

We had not gone far when the weather, as the captain had predicted,
suddenly changed. Dark clouds chased each other at a rapid rate across
the hitherto blue sky; the wind came in fitful gusts, increasing every
instant; and the water, before so calm, rose in foaming waves with
extraordinary suddenness,--the cause of which, my uncle observed, was
the shallowness of the lake. Still we continued our course, hoping to
get to the village of Cervanos, where we could procure a bongo, or
native canoe, in which we could perform our voyage of eight hund