day, and our punch when no better beverage was to be had but the raw milk of the paramos; and good wine, when it could be had, lost none of its flavour by being drank out of a calabash cup.

The traveller will often have use for a good sharp tomahawk, which may be hung in an eye-strap at the bow of the saddle; if he is under the necessity of sleeping in the woods, or making a fire for the cookery; or if he wishes to hang his hammock conveniently for a fellow-traveller, or near his mules, the tomahawk saves time as well as promotes comfort. A flint and tinder-box, and steel, with matches, serve the same purposes of facility and efficiency in travelling accommodation, and without them he may go to his hammock supperless, or suffer privation in addition to fatigue.

The 13th of November was devoted to visiting and taking leave of our kind friends, completing our equipments, and preparing for our departure on the following morning.

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CHAPTER IX.

Leave Caracas on the fourteenth of November-friendly cavalcade-bank of the Guayra-venerable family of Toro-Antimano-pass La Vieja-reach Las Juntas-the junction of the San Pedro and Macaro with the Guayrahalt at a pulpureia—first taste of domestic cookery-country articles—a posada or tavern for muleteers-the social economy-a refresco-ordered without garlic in vain-moderate charges-refresco a fine subject of fun at partingthe heights of Higuerota-Bonavista-view of Caracas-excavated road-2 fine specimen of asbestos-General Paez and suite-meet young troops— above the clouds-appearance-Bolivar the theme of songs every where— laborious and dangerous descent-forsake the clouds, and see the verdant earth-the deep blue canopy appears-warmer atmosphere-reach San Pedro -adventures there-piercing cold night- Sacristy of the Church-hang up our hammocks effigy of the virgin-no disturbance all night-moved through Loxas-more soldiers-characteristics of-Cuquisias-Consejo--halt to refresh -the river Tuy, its course.- Valley of Aragua-appearances-lodged-order of our establishment-hospitality-hammocks how hung-moved early the sixteenth-appearance of the country-flowering shrubs-mountain rangepeculiar features of-limpid rills.-San Mateo.--Estate of the President Bolivar-fine sugar-mill, and plantation-halt there-entertained.

OUR departure on the morning of the fourteenth had collected, according to the usage of the country, a numerous cavalcade of our friends, with the intention of escorting us out of town, as had been done at our coming. The route lies over the Garaguata, by the ample bridge before noticed, and leads through a spacious street in the quarter of St. Juan, to a considerable distance beyond the regular line of the streets; the road had been paved three or four miles beyond the inhabited range, and had a gradual ascent; but the advantage of good paving was here manifest, in the excavation of the road by rains, where the pavement had been broken up; the firm pavement standing on its first surface a foot or eighteen inches above the surface now washed away, which had been formerly a part of the same causeway. We soon reached the plunging current of the Garaguata, the

neighbourhood of Antimano, seven miles from Caracas, embosomed in verdant hills, and rich in its tillage; after a temporary halt, to pay our respects to the venerable general Toro and his family, who resided there, we soon crossed the Guayra, leaving the small hamlet of La Vega on our right, as we entered the little valley of Antimano; and reached Las Juntas, or the junction; the little river Macaro, and the less rivulet of San Pedro, here uniting with the gurgling Guayra, plunging in its descent over a bed of small rocks, and bounded by many rocks of more magnitude. Las Juntas is about twelve miles from Caracas, somewhat elevated above the valley; there are but a few houses, the principal of which is a pulpureia, literally a huckster-shop, in which the ordinary articles of vinegar, oil, candles, lard, seeds, and garlic, are sold, and where we had our first specimen of the entertainment, cookery, and guarapa, with which we were to be thenceforward regaled; for there was a posada or country tavern contiguous, or rather part of the pulpureia. Here our friends alighted about nine o'clock. Groupes of muleteers and mules were busy in taking their refresco, and I had much amusement in witnessing, the curiosity and wonder of my young fellow-travellers, and I shall describe, once for all, the interior, the entertainment, and the accommodations of a pulpureia and a posada; for the manners and entertainment at this place, so near the city, was such as prevails among the most distant population.

The establishment consisted of a long thatched or tiled shed, parallel with the road; one half of the front was open to man and beast, the other half presented a long counter, upon which were displayed, as the principal commodity, a multitude of ropes of garlic, strings of sausages, and puddings of formida ble magnitude, and through their thin transparent coats revealing the excellencies of the fat and the lean pork, and the garlic, of which they were fashioned out in nearly equal quantities; they were rather dusky resemblances of the

columns of the Capitol, in the variety of their shades; coils of Tajo, that is ropes of dried beef, concerning which I shall speak hereafter; tallow candles hung against the wall; and the other merchandize were disposed, without much regard to shew or order, on massy shelves. The pulpero was employed very busily in serving his rapid succession of customers, while an assistiente, stationed at a large jar of some twenty gallons measure, served out to his class of customers a liquid which my turn had not yet come to taste; it was Guarapa, and when I come to relate how partial I came to be to this fermented liquor (when nothing else could be had), the future traveller may anticipate, however delicate his palate or choice in his liquors, that he will certainly find himself in a position to render Guarapa desirable.

Our friends, resolving to enjoy the first effects of the fine light air, into which we had ascended, ordered a refresco for us and company; and, desirous of partaking of the good things of the new world, gravely directed it should be the best, and without garlic. I suppose my articulation rendered my injunctions unintelligible, for we were shewn into what may be called a room, because there was a space of about seven feet by six; a sort of old door on a truck about four feet from the floor, which was intended for the table; there was only one chair, and that had lost half a leg, perhaps in the war; a large wooden dish was placed on the table, as I may call it; some of us contrived means to place ourselves in a position for the attack on the salt pork junks, from which issued vapour and perfume of garlic, quite enough to satisfy curiosity. I tasted it, and it was actually well cured with salt, and if the dish had been something, to appearance, cleaner, and the garlic dispensed with, I could have made a good breakfast of it. Finding that chocolate and some eggs could be had in the pulpureia, and some Caracas bread, this I preferred to the casava, which was

brought to table in a pile, with some cups of tolerable Catalonia, we continued to finish our refresco-without very much reducing the contents of the wooden dish.

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If the table was not covered with delicacies, the charge was moderate; and we prepared to separate from our friends, who partook with us in the pleasure, and the fun produced at our feast. We mounted, and pursued our way up the winding ravine, which forms the road to the mountain of Higuerota, and reached Buenavista, said to be five thousand feet above the ocean, from whence we had a delightful view of Caracas. The morning was charming, and luxuriantly refreshing; and we frequently turned round to take a last look at a city where we had found so many friends, partaken of so much kindness and hospitality; and winding our way, indicated by our silence the emotions and anticipations of the past and the future.

The ascent had been here graduated by labour into a spacious road, of sixty feet broad, the sides, impending banks of earth. Lieut. Bache discovered some specimens of asbestos of considerable length of fibre, which was in great abundance. Soon afterwards a number of youths with musquets met us as we descended the mountain; and soon after a general officer and his suite, dashing desperately down the steep descent; it was general Paez, who simply touched his hat to us without halting. We soon after met a numerous detachment of soldiers, marching without order towards Caracas; and from a sub-officer, whom I addressed, learned who they were that passed us, and that the troops he was with, were principally recruits marching to the depot; and with more than usual communicativeness, observed that the general was not going to Caracas with troops for nothing.

We were soon involved in a thick mist, which to the first seeming had fallen upon us, but in fact the clouds were suspended in an horizontal range, that left an unclouded space beneath, out of which we ascended, and entered the stratum