Personal Narrative Of Travels To The Equinoctial Regions Of America During The Years 1799-1804 - Volume 2 - By Alexander Von Humboldt And Aime Bonpland.
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The Slope Of
The River Is In Fact Extremely Gentle From The Great Cataracts To
Angostura; And, If A Barometric
Measurement were wanting, the
difference of height might be determined by approximation, by
measuring from time to time the velocity
Of the stream, and the extent
of the section in breadth and depth. We had some observations of the
stars at Uruana. I found the latitude of the mission to be 7 degrees 8
minutes; but the results from different stars left a doubt of more
than 1 minute. The stratum of mosquitos, which hovered over the
ground, was so thick that I could not succeed in rectifying properly
the artificial horizon. I tormented myself in vain; and regretted that
I was not provided with a mercurial horizon. On the 7th of June, good
absolute altitudes of the sun gave me 69 degrees 40 minutes for the
longitude. We had advanced from Esmeralda 1 degree 17 minutes toward
the west, and this chronometric determination merits entire confidence
on account of the double observations, made in going and returning, at
the Great Cataracts, and at the confluence of the Atabapo and of the
Apure.
The situation of the mission of Uruana is extremely picturesque. The
little Indian village stands at the foot of a lofty granitic mountain.
Rocks everywhere appear in the form of pillars above the forest,
rising higher than the tops of the tallest trees. The aspect of the
Orinoco is nowhere more majestic than when viewed from the hut of the
missionary, Fray Ramon Bueno.
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