We tarried several days at La Portuguesa to afford our horses time to recover from the fatigues1 of the previous rough journeys. We also expected to incorporate there another drove, which having been kept throughout the summer grazing in the ever-verdant meadows of this river, were now in very fine condition. In the mean time, we were agreeably occupied in hunting, fishing and dancing; the people of the neighborhood being sufficient for our social entertainments.
Every morning we rode out to the savannas2 to hunt an ox for our meals. The remainder of the day was occupied in scouring3 the adjacent woods and plains after our steeds, who seemed as if conscious of the life that awaited them beyond La Portuguesa; for it required all the ingenuity4 and sagacity of the Llaneros to discover their hiding-places, and bring them again to the corrals. The evenings were devoted5 to dancing and singing by the light of half a{117} dozen candiles, or lamps made of burned clay, and filled with the grease of crocodiles. The habitations being considerably6 scattered7 along the banks of the river, we employed a number of runners for the purpose of bringing the company to the fandango, as these nocturnal revelries are called, who came in canoes or wading8 through the mud as occasion required.
And now, refined and courteous9 reader, picture to yourself a motley assemblage, brought together without any regard to color, age, or position, under an open shed or barracoon dimly lighted, and you will form an idea of our soirées dansantes, which for merriment and courtesy might with good reason have been the envy of the most polished reunions.
The orchestra was composed of a guitar scarcely larger than the hand that twanged it, a banjo of huge proportions, and a couple of noisy maracas, rattle-boxes made from the shell of the calabash fruit, and filled with the seed of a Marantha or Indian shot. No music is considered complete without this accompaniment, which, as well as I could judge, filled the place of castanets, or the less romantic “bones” of negro minstrelsy. A wooden handle is attached to each, to enable the performer to shake them to and fro, which he does with appropriate gestures and contortions10 expressive11 of his different emotions. A corresponding choir12 of singers, picked from our own suite13, was attached to the players. All Llaneros are passionately14 fond of music, and display considerable talent, composing many beautiful songs of a national character, called tonos or trovas llaneras. Few in{118} the country are not gifted with the power of versification, and there are among them many famous improvisatori. Whenever two of these are brought together, a competition for the laurel crown is the invariable consequence. This amicable15 strife16 sometimes occupies several successive hours, ending only when one of the bards17 is fairly silenced by the other; the victor is then declared the lion of the fête and receives accordingly not only the congratulations of his admirers, but also secures the smiles of the most sparkling eyes in the company. It is really surprising to see men, who cannot distinguish one letter of the alphabet from another, compose and extemporize19 poetry which, although rude in character, is nevertheless full of interest and significance. Most of their songs and ballads20 refer to deeds of valor21 performed by their own heroes; while others recount their love adventures, and daily struggles with the wild and unsubdued nature which surrounds them. Their instruments, when handled with skill, produce very harmonious22 sounds. The bandola or banjo bears no resemblance to the one in common use among the negroes of the States. It is, in fact, a guitar of large proportions, shaped somewhat like the lute23 of old. The guitar of the Llanos is the reverse of its associate the banjo, being considerably smaller and with only five strings24, on which account it is called Cinco. Still, it is a very noisy little instrument, all its cords being made to resound25 at once by running the fingers of the right hand up and down over them, while those of the left stop them at the right moment.
The dancers do not grapple with each other, as is{119} the practice among some of the more enlightened, but dance alone, joining hands occasionally for a few moments, and then separating and whirling round by themselves. First, a woman paces round the room in double-quick step, looking for a partner; when a suitable one is found, a graceful26 waving of the handkerchief summons him before her; then both go through their evolutions until the woman chooses to withdraw. The man then with a polite bow invites a second partner, and so on to the end of the first dance. This is styled the Galeron, in which only the most skilful27 dancers take part, as it requires great flexibility28 of joint29 and limb to execute all the intricate and graceful posturings and swayings of the body, constituting the principal charm of the performance. They have a variety of other dances, such as La Maricela, El Raspon, La Zapa, &c., all of which, however, are of the same character, the chief difference being in the double entendre of the stanzas30 sung as accompaniment to the music. La Maricela, especially, is a very exciting dance, from the satirical bon mots hurled31 by the bard18 of the evening at each couple as they pass. The facility with which these verses are improvised32 is most amusing, and would even astonish the most accomplished33 Neapolitan improvisatore. Some of them are capital hits upon the personal appearance, &c., of the dancers, and none fail to find some point for ridicule34.
Three or four days we sojourned among these jolly people, and then again set out for the scene of our future adventures, stopping for the night at San{120} Jaime, once a thriving town, but now nearly deserted35 in consequence of the desolating36 civil wars which have afflicted37 the country for several years. On our way thither38, we traversed a succession of beautiful prairies, bound by rings of magnificent forest trees, and watered by numerous creeks40 and lagoons41 filled with water fowl43. Unlike the dreary44 wastes we had already crossed, which, “like the ocean, fill the imagination with the idea of infinity,” the plains stretching between the Portuguesa and Apure rivers are characterized by the rankness and luxuriance of the vegetation. Owing to the periodical inundation45, the landscape wears here the green mantle46 of spring even during the hottest months.
This yearly inundation is one of the most curious phenomena47 of this region. At the approach of the rainy season, those two magnificent offsprings of the Sierra Nevada, the Apure and Portuguesa, tired as it were of their long repose48, suddenly rise in their heated, muddy beds, and leap over their borders, at first in playful gambols49; then in fearful and rapid course, converting these widely extended plains into a vast lagoon42. To the few spots which escape the general submersion, the inhabitants retire with their chattels50 and flocks in canoes held in readiness for the purpose.
Thus the land is kept in a state of constant irrigation and fertility unsurpassed in any country, although at the expense of the comfort of the inhabitants, who are compelled to abandon their homes to the crocodiles and anacondas of the stream. When the waters subside51, the intruders are expelled by the rightful{121} owners of the dwellings52; the few articles of furniture they possess replaced in the damp rooms, and they again devote themselves to domestic pursuits until the next inundation forces them anew to seek a home elsewhere. I was shown at the pass the marks left by the water on the walls of the cottages, indicating in some instances a rise of twelve feet.
I was struck with the size and luxuriance of the trees along the course of these rivers. My attention was particularly attracted by the saman, a species of Mimosa, with delicate, feathery flowers of a pinkish hue53, and gigantic, umbrella-shaped boughs54. There is in the valleys of Aragua one of these which, from time immemorial, has elicited55 the admiration56 of travellers, and received the protection of the law since the discovery and settlement of the country, for its magnificent proportions and the great age which it is supposed to have attained57.
Extensive tracts58 of land are entirely59 taken up by individuals of this class. It would be impossible to conceive any thing more grand in nature than a forest of these trees. It might be said of them that each is a forest in itself; and were all the beautiful parasites60 that cling to their trunks and branches for support spread upon the ground, they would cover several acres. All along the course of the great rivers Apure, Guarico, and Portuguesa, the saman is found in such countless61 numbers that the combined fleets of the civilized62 world might be reconstructed from this inexhaustible supply. The axe63 of the northerner could readily convert those stupendous forests into vehicles{122} of commerce and civilization, were it not for the wasting fevers, endemic of that region. Now they only serve as protective haunts for desperate bands of robbers and cut-throats, let loose by unprincipled politicians.
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Equally rank and luxuriant are the grasses in these alluvial64 lands. We were compelled to drive before us all the relay horses and other beasts of burden to open a passage and save our bare feet from being dreadfully lacerated by the gamelote, a tall, cutting, and worthless grass, with blades almost as sharp as a “Toledo.” It grows so closely and rapidly as to obliterate65 in a few days the paths made by travellers, killing66 every other species in its way. Unfortunately, it is perfectly67 useless as fodder68, except for Chigüires or water-hogs, which feed on it when nothing better offers, and to the flesh of which it imparts its disagreeable flavor; the gamelote is therefore consigned69 to the flames as soon as it is ripe enough to burn, which it does with as much seeming fury as{123} it displayed against the feet and legs of travellers in its green days.
On the second night of our journey, we pitched our camp near several ponds, literally70 crowded with alligators71 and fish and water fowl of all varieties, which kept up a continual strife, to our great discomfort72. Not only was the water rendered noxious73 by the numerous creatures in it, but even the air was filled with the effluvium and mosquitoes arising therefrom. We were compelled to dig wells in the vicinity of the lagoons to obtain water for our use; but no artifice74 could shield us from the unmerciful attacks of the mosquitoes, especially the kind called pullones, from the length and strength of the proboscis75. We tried in vain to escape their painful sting by rolling ourselves from head to foot in our ponchos76 and hammocks, at the peril77 of suffocation78; the needle-like proboscis of the insects actually penetrated80 through the folds of our covering so as to draw blood. Nor would the smoke of the blazing fires around the camp drive them off, as was anticipated. Fortunately, they only paid us an early visit, retiring all at once before midnight, and leaving us to the tender mercies of their kinsfolk, the noisy mosquitoes or zancudos. These, although not so tormenting81 with their sting, were none the less so with their music, while no part of our bodies could be left uncovered without being instantly besieged82 by swarms83 of these “howling-insect wolves.” This, however, was the only occasion upon which we were troubled by mosquitoes during our journey, as they only appear in force during the rainy season.{124}
I noticed here for the first time a low range of hills or médanos, mere84 accumulations of sand tossed from place to place by the winds across the boundless85 plain; to-day, they rise above the surrounding prairies; to-morrow, they are levelled with the dust of the savannas: fit emblem86 of the ephemeral republics of the South! These médanos had been overrun by the gamelote, giving them the character of permanent hills, from which the place takes the name of Medanos de San Martin.
It is scarcely necessary to say that there was no temptation to prolong our stay there longer than was needed by our horses, who revelled87 all night in the fine meadows around the lagoons. Packing up once more, we bade adieu to that inhospitable encampment long before daylight.
Struggling through miles of gamelote, we reached the cattle farm of Corozito towards noon. Don Luciano Samuel, the proprietor88, extended to us the hospitalities of his demesne89 with the characteristic grace and frankness of the people in those regions. From thence to the Pass of Apurito, on the river Apure, was only a few hours’ ride; and the morning being the best time for crossing the river with our animals, we rose early in order to reach it before the breeze should commence blowing.
Owing to the thick vegetation on its banks, we did not discover the river until we were close upon it; and then, with what delight did I again view the broad surface of this magnificent stream!
Although born near its shores, I had but a faint recollection of its broad expanse. Perhaps its turbulent{125} waves had rocked my raw-hide cradle during one of the periodical inundations; for, from earliest childhood, I have borne marks left by the teeth of the caribe.
What glorious recollections of the fierce contest for liberty did its waters bring to memory! Not the lordly Thames, with its “woven-winged” argosies, teeming90 with the merchandise of the earth; the enchanting91 Delaware, framed in romantic cottages and orchard92 groves93; nor yet the splendid Hudson, renowned94 for its floating palaces and legends, but more, that on its banks nestles the home of Irving, awakened95 in my breast such emotions of heartfelt admiration as did this silent messenger from the Sierra Nevada! There, amidst the thunders of the Heavens and rolling avalanches96, it takes its rise, precipitately97 descending98 to the plain below through a succession of frightful99 leaps, which shake the primeval forest to its very foundations. And so it comes, that its surface is often loaded with an immense accumulation of fallen trees from the various zones of vegetation it traverses in its course. Thus the delicate ferns and other Alpine100 plants are commingled101 with those of the burning climes below, and finally deposited in the wide estuary102 forming the delta103 of the Orinoco. When future generations shall disentomb them in a petrified104 state, their geologists105 will no doubt attribute this singular agglomeration106 to wonderful changes in the temperature of the earth.
The river Apure, properly speaking, is formed by the confluence107 of two other streams, the Sarare and Uribante. The former has its rise among the New{126} Granadian range of mountains, although a great portion of its waters flow now into the Arauca, consequent on the great deposits of sand and drift wood accumulating at its mouth.
The Uribante, or Upper Apure, may be considered the main channel of this river, with a total length of six hundred and forty miles, five hundred and sixty-four of which are navigable for large vessels108. It takes the name of Apure after its junction109 with the Sarare; but is again subdivided110 into several ramifications111 called ca?os or creeks, each of which has a particular name; among them, La Ebilla, Apurito and Apure-Seco are the most important; these again unite with the main channel, and form islands of surprising fertility. These islands are invaluable112 as potreros for the cattle, when other parts of the country are parched113 with the droughts of summer, the steep banks and wide channels of the rivers serving as the most effectual barriers against their roaming propensities114.
The geographical115 situation of this river, joined as it is to one of the greatest tributaries116 of the wide ocean—the Orinoco—at a point nearly five hundred miles from its confluence with the sea, stamps it as one of the most important lines of internal navigation in the world, and points to the wild region of the Llanos as a future emporium of civilization. To it all the products and other natural sources of wealth from the adjoining provinces will be brought for immediate117 exportation to foreign markets; as, in addition to the vast area of level country traversed by it, this river receives the tribute of a hundred navigable streams{127} descending from the eastern slope of the Andes of New Granada and Venezuela.
The width of the Apure varies considerably according to the seasons of rains and droughts; sometimes extending miles beyond its actual channel, but usually not less than one thousand yards broad. Humboldt, who measured it at San Fernando in the month of May, when it had receded118 to its lowest ebb119, found it to be two hundred and thirty-six toises broad; higher up it is considerably wider, gradually diminishing as it approaches its great confluent. Alluding120 to this singular phenomenon, mostly caused by evaporation121 and infiltrations through the dry, sandy banks of the river, the same eminent123 traveller elucidates124 some curious facts worthy125 of notice. He says: “Some idea of the magnitude of these effects may be formed, from the fact that we found the heat of the dry sands at different hours of the day from 36° to 52°,[26] and that of sands covered with three or four inches of water 32°. The beds of rivers are heated as far as the depth to which the solar rays can penetrate79, without undergoing too great an expansion in their passage through the superincumbent strata126 of water. Besides, filtration extends in a lateral127 direction far beyond the bed of the river. The shore, which appears dry to us, imbibes128 water as far up as to the level of the surface of the river. We saw water gush129 out at the distance of fifty toises from the shore, every time that the Indians struck their oars130 into the ground. Now, these sands, wet below but{128} dry above, and exposed to the solar rays, act like sponges, and lose the infiltrated131 water every instant by evaporation. The vapor122 that is emitted traverses the upper stratum132 of sand strongly heated, and becomes sensible to the eye when the air cools towards evening. As the beach dries, it draws from the river new portions of water; and it may be easily conceived that this continual alternation of vaporization and lateral absorption must cause an immense loss, difficult to submit to exact calculation. The increase of these losses would be in proportion to the length of the course of the rivers, if from their source to their mouth they were equally surrounded by a flat shore; but these shores being formed by deposits from the water, and the water having less velocity133 in proportion as it is more remote from its source, throwing down more sediment134 in the lower than in the upper part of its course, many rivers in hot climates undergo a diminution135 in the quantity of their water as they approach their outlets136. Mr. Barrow observed these curious effects of sands in the southern part of Africa, on the banks of the Orange river. They have also become the subject of a very important discussion in the various hypotheses that have been formed respecting the course of the Niger.”
At the time we crossed the Apure, it was considerably below the average width, as we were then in the midst of the dry season; nevertheless, it presented a formidable obstacle to our progress. There being only one canoe at the pass, the whole morning was spent in the transportation of our bulky riding-gear and luggage; and the breeze setting in shortly after{129} our arrival, the passage of the horses was postponed137 until noon, in consequence of the agitated138 state of the water. It would have been rather hazardous139 to expose our valuable steeds to the “chopping sea,” which, beating against the animals’ nostrils140, is apt to stop their respiration141, and as they then lose their steadiness in swimming, are rendered liable to be drowned.
We were met on the opposite bank of the river by a committee of gentlemen in their shirt sleeves, like ourselves, commissioned by the inhabitants of Apurito to tender our Leader the hospitalities of their village. Prominent among them was the general overseer of his estate. Commandant Rávago, a tough, wiry, and weather-beaten individual, whose nose Nature had made of an unjustifiable length, and who discoursed142 in a language peculiar143 to himself. Indeed, it required one to be well versed39 in the jargon144 of the Llanos to understand his dissertations145 upon matters and things in general; for he pretended to be a connoisseur146 in every thing, except languages; the English, especially, was peculiarly distasteful to his ears, and whenever he heard us conversing147 in that tongue, he declared in his patois148, that it reminded him of a pack of horses neighing to each other. Notwithstanding his uncouth149 manner and appearance, our overseer was a very shrewd fellow, and quite au fait in all matters appertaining to cattle farms.
As for the village or port of Apurito, it was a mere assemblage of mud-plastered cottages, thatched, like all houses in that region, with palm leaves. Some of them had doors and windows of planed{130} boards; but the greater part were free to whoever and whatever chose to walk or crawl into them; no church, no school-house, no building devoted to public meetings of any sort. The Alcalde, that most important functionary150 in small Spanish communities, held his audiences in the narrow corridor of his hut, while the sala was devoted to the all-absorbing game of monte. Once a year the Padre, next in importance to his Honor the Alcalde, paid a visit to the village, when all the boys and girls who had not been baptized were brought before him at his lodgings151, where the ceremony was performed in a somewhat informal manner, and without special regard being paid to the strict injunctions of the Church. There were a few storehouses scattered along the banks of the river, where all business transactions were carried on. These were principally in hides, which are given in exchange for the few articles of barter153 brought from the Orinoco. Hides, in fact, are the bank notes of the Llanos; and although rather voluminous and uncleanly, they change hands as readily as any “paper” that was ever in “the market.” These are taken to Ciudad Bolívar, formerly154 Angostura, in bongos and one-mast sailing vessels called lanchas, which return laden155 with salt, knives, blankets, and printed calicoes, articles of prime necessity among the inhabitants. Other ports along the Apure, such as Nutrias and San Fernando, carry on a very extensive trade in these goods. The first-named town adds largely to her exports, bringing in the agricultural products of the adjoining province of Barinas. These are coffee, cacao, indigo156, and tobacco; the last being{131} highly prized in Germany for meerschaums, and always obtaining a ready sale at Bolívar.
The course of the Apure being nearly in a straight line from west to east, the trade winds blowing across the plains in the summer season play a very important part in propelling, even against the current, the heaviest craft sailing up the river. During the rainy season, the westerly winds combine with the current of the stream in expediting the progress of vessels. Of late, several steamboats have been added to those already engaged in this traffic; and I am told are doing a very profitable business. God speed them!
“During the time of great floods,” writes Humboldt, “the inhabitants of these countries, to avoid the force of the currents, and the danger arising from the trunks of trees which these currents bring down, instead of ascending157 the beds of rivers in their boats, cross the savannas. To go from San Fernando to the villages of San Juan de Payara, San Rafael de Atamaica, or San Francisco de Capanaparo, they direct their course due south, as if they were crossing a single river of twenty leagues broad. The junctions152 of the Guarico, the Apure, the Cabullare, and the Arauca with the Orinoco, form, at a hundred and sixty leagues from the coast of Guiana, a kind of interior delta, of which hydrography furnishes few examples in the Old World. According to the height of the mercury in the barometer158, the waters of the Apure have only a fall of thirty-four toises from San Fernando to the sea. The fall from the mouths of{132} the Osage and the Missouri to the bar of the Mississippi is not more considerable. The savannas of Lower Louisiana everywhere remind us of the savannas of the Lower Orinoco.”—Travels to the Equinoxial Regions.
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1
fatigues
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| n.疲劳( fatigue的名词复数 )；杂役；厌倦；（士兵穿的）工作服 | |
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savannas
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| n.（美国东南部的）无树平原( savanna的名词复数 )；（亚）热带的稀树大草原 | |
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scouring
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| 擦[洗]净，冲刷，洗涤 | |
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ingenuity
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| n.别出心裁；善于发明创造 | |
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devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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wading
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| （从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的现在分词 ) | |
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courteous
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| adj.彬彬有礼的，客气的 | |
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contortions
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| n.扭歪，弯曲；扭曲，弄歪，歪曲( contortion的名词复数 ) | |
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expressive
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| adj.表现的，表达…的，富于表情的 | |
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choir
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| n.唱诗班，唱诗班的席位，合唱团，舞蹈团；v.合唱 | |
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suite
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| n.一套(家具)；套房；随从人员 | |
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passionately
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| ad.热烈地，激烈地 | |
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amicable
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| adj.和平的，友好的；友善的 | |
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strife
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| n.争吵，冲突，倾轧，竞争 | |
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bards
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| n.诗人( bard的名词复数 ) | |
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bard
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| n.吟游诗人 | |
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extemporize
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| v.即席演说，即兴演奏，当场作成 | |
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ballads
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| 民歌，民谣，特别指叙述故事的歌( ballad的名词复数 )； 讴 | |
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valor
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| n.勇气，英勇 | |
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harmonious
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| adj.和睦的，调和的，和谐的，协调的 | |
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lute
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| n.琵琶，鲁特琴 | |
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strings
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| n.弦 | |
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resound
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| v.回响 | |
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graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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skilful
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| (=skillful)adj.灵巧的，熟练的 | |
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flexibility
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| n.柔韧性，弹性，（光的）折射性，灵活性 | |
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joint
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| adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合 | |
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stanzas
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| 节，段( stanza的名词复数 ) | |
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hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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improvised
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| a.即席而作的,即兴的 | |
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accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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ridicule
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| v.讥讽，挖苦；n.嘲弄 | |
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deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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desolating
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| 毁坏( desolate的现在分词 )； 极大地破坏； 使沮丧； 使痛苦 | |
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afflicted
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| 使受痛苦，折磨( afflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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versed
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| adj. 精通，熟练 | |
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creeks
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| n.小湾( creek的名词复数 )；小港；小河；小溪 | |
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lagoons
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| n.污水池( lagoon的名词复数 )；潟湖；（大湖或江河附近的）小而浅的淡水湖；温泉形成的池塘 | |
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42
lagoon
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| n.泻湖，咸水湖 | |
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43
fowl
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| n.家禽，鸡，禽肉 | |
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44
dreary
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| adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的 | |
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45
inundation
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| n.the act or fact of overflowing | |
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46
mantle
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| n.斗篷，覆罩之物，罩子；v.罩住，覆盖，脸红 | |
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47
phenomena
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| n.现象 | |
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48
repose
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| v.(使)休息；n.安息 | |
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49
gambols
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| v.蹦跳，跳跃，嬉戏( gambol的第三人称单数 ) | |
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50
chattels
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| n.动产，奴隶( chattel的名词复数 ) | |
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51
subside
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| vi.平静，平息；下沉，塌陷，沉降 | |
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52
dwellings
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| n.住处，处所( dwelling的名词复数 ) | |
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53
hue
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| n.色度；色调；样子 | |
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54
boughs
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| 大树枝( bough的名词复数 ) | |
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55
elicited
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| 引出，探出( elicit的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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56
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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57
attained
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| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
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58
tracts
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| 大片土地( tract的名词复数 )； 地带； （体内的）道； （尤指宣扬宗教、伦理或政治的）短文 | |
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59
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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60
parasites
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| 寄生物( parasite的名词复数 )； 靠他人为生的人； 诸虫 | |
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61
countless
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| adj.无数的，多得不计其数的 | |
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62
civilized
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| a.有教养的，文雅的 | |
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63
axe
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| n.斧子；v.用斧头砍，削减 | |
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64
alluvial
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| adj.冲积的；淤积的 | |
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65
obliterate
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| v.擦去，涂抹，去掉...痕迹，消失，除去 | |
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66
killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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67
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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68
fodder
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| n.草料；炮灰 | |
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69
consigned
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| v.把…置于（令人不快的境地）( consign的过去式和过去分词 )；把…托付给；把…托人代售；丟弃 | |
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70
literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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71
alligators
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| n.短吻鳄( alligator的名词复数 ) | |
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72
discomfort
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| n.不舒服，不安，难过，困难，不方便 | |
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73
noxious
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| adj.有害的，有毒的；使道德败坏的，讨厌的 | |
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74
artifice
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| n.妙计，高明的手段；狡诈，诡计 | |
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75
proboscis
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| n.（象的）长鼻 | |
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76
ponchos
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| n.斗篷( poncho的名词复数 ) | |
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77
peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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78
suffocation
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| n.窒息 | |
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79
penetrate
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| v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解 | |
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80
penetrated
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| adj. 击穿的，鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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81
tormenting
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| 使痛苦的，使苦恼的 | |
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82
besieged
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| 包围，围困，围攻( besiege的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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83
swarms
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| 蜂群，一大群( swarm的名词复数 ) | |
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84
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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85
boundless
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| adj.无限的；无边无际的；巨大的 | |
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86
emblem
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| n.象征，标志；徽章 | |
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87
revelled
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| v.作乐( revel的过去式和过去分词 )；狂欢；着迷；陶醉 | |
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88
proprietor
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| n.所有人；业主；经营者 | |
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89
demesne
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| n.领域，私有土地 | |
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90
teeming
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| adj.丰富的v.充满( teem的现在分词 )；到处都是；（指水、雨等）暴降；倾注 | |
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91
enchanting
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| a.讨人喜欢的 | |
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92
orchard
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| n.果园，果园里的全部果树，(美俚)棒球场 | |
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93
groves
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| 树丛，小树林( grove的名词复数 ) | |
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94
renowned
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| adj.著名的，有名望的，声誉鹊起的 | |
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95
awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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96
avalanches
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| n.雪崩( avalanche的名词复数 ) | |
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97
precipitately
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| adv.猛进地 | |
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98
descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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99
frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
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100
alpine
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| adj.高山的；n.高山植物 | |
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101
commingled
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| v.混合，掺和，合并( commingle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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102
estuary
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| n.河口，江口 | |
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103
delta
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| n.（流的）角洲 | |
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104
petrified
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| adj.惊呆的；目瞪口呆的v.使吓呆，使惊呆；变僵硬；使石化(petrify的过去式和过去分词) | |
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105
geologists
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| 地质学家，地质学者( geologist的名词复数 ) | |
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106
agglomeration
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| n.结聚，一堆 | |
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107
confluence
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| n.汇合，聚集 | |
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108
vessels
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| n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人 | |
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109
junction
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| n.连接，接合；交叉点，接合处，枢纽站 | |
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110
subdivided
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| 再分，细分( subdivide的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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111
ramifications
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| n.结果，后果( ramification的名词复数 ) | |
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112
invaluable
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| adj.无价的，非常宝贵的，极为贵重的 | |
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113
parched
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| adj.焦干的；极渴的；v.（使）焦干 | |
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114
propensities
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| n.倾向，习性( propensity的名词复数 ) | |
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115
geographical
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| adj.地理的；地区(性)的 | |
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116
tributaries
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| n. 支流 | |
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117
immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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118
receded
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| v.逐渐远离( recede的过去式和过去分词 )；向后倾斜；自原处后退或避开别人的注视；尤指问题 | |
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119
ebb
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| vi.衰退，减退；n.处于低潮，处于衰退状态 | |
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120
alluding
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| 提及，暗指( allude的现在分词 ) | |
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121
evaporation
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| n.蒸发，消失 | |
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122
vapor
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| n.蒸汽，雾气 | |
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123
eminent
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| adj.显赫的，杰出的，有名的，优良的 | |
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124
elucidates
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| v.阐明，解释( elucidate的第三人称单数 ) | |
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125
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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126
strata
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| n.地层（复数）；社会阶层 | |
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127
lateral
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| adj.侧面的，旁边的 | |
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128
imbibes
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| v.吸收( imbibe的第三人称单数 )；喝；吸取；吸气 | |
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129
gush
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| v.喷，涌；滔滔不绝(说话)；n.喷，涌流；迸发 | |
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130
oars
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| n.桨，橹( oar的名词复数 )；划手v.划（行）( oar的第三人称单数 ) | |
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131
infiltrated
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| adj.[医]浸润的v.（使）渗透，（指思想）渗入人的心中( infiltrate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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132
stratum
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| n.地层，社会阶层 | |
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133
velocity
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| n.速度，速率 | |
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134
sediment
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| n.沉淀，沉渣，沉积(物) | |
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135
diminution
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| n.减少；变小 | |
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136
outlets
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| n.出口( outlet的名词复数 )；经销店；插座；廉价经销店 | |
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137
postponed
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| vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发） | |
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138
agitated
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| adj.被鼓动的，不安的 | |
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139
hazardous
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| adj.(有)危险的，冒险的；碰运气的 | |
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140
nostrils
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| 鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 ) | |
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141
respiration
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| n.呼吸作用；一次呼吸；植物光合作用 | |
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142
discoursed
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| 演说（discourse的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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143
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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144
jargon
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| n.术语，行话 | |
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145
dissertations
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| 专题论文，学位论文( dissertation的名词复数 ) | |
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146
connoisseur
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| n.鉴赏家，行家，内行 | |
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147
conversing
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| v.交谈，谈话( converse的现在分词 ) | |
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148
patois
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| n.方言；混合语 | |
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149
uncouth
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| adj.无教养的，粗鲁的 | |
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150
functionary
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| n.官员；公职人员 | |
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151
lodgings
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| n. 出租的房舍, 寄宿舍 | |
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152
junctions
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| 联结点( junction的名词复数 )； 会合点； （公路或铁路的）交叉路口； （电缆等的）主结点 | |
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153
barter
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| n.物物交换，以货易货，实物交易 | |
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154
formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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155
laden
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| adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的 | |
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156
indigo
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| n.靛青，靛蓝 | |
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157
ascending
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| adj.上升的，向上的 | |
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158
barometer
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| n.气压表，睛雨表，反应指标 | |
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