260 



Am. X. Journal of a trip from St. Thome de Angostura, in 

 Spanish Guayana, to the Capuchin Missiom of the Caroni. 



[The following Journal is printed from the original Manuscript, for 

 which the Editor is obliged to a near relation of the Author.] 



October 29th, 1818. 

 Having agreed with Dr. K. to accompany me, and purchased 

 a horse for 20 dollars, a mule for 45 dollars, and received an- 

 other as a present from Bolivar, we started at4P.M.; our equipage 

 consisted of myself upon a cream-coloured horse, the Doctor 

 upon my little mule, each armed with a broad sword and a 

 brace of pistols in our holsters; my boy John upon one mule, 

 and my guide Anisette upon another, each armed with a rifle 

 and sword, drove before them the baggage-mule, loaded with 

 two portmanteaus and a bag containing biscuit, sausages, and 

 one day's provision, with six bottles of good rum, salt, pepper, 

 and other needful articles which we were given to understand 

 were not to be had in the interior. Our intention was to go no 

 further than Panapana, about six leagues' distance, where we 

 expected to find the Doctor's cavalry. The day had been cloudy 

 and cool, but without rain ; our path lay on an elevated plain, 

 skirting the banks of the Orinoco, which ever and anon shewed 

 itself, rolling majestically along in the distance. I wished to 

 push on, but could not get the baggage out of the ordinary 

 mule's pace ; and, being unable to distinguish my road among 

 the innumerable cattle paths which crossed us in every direc- 

 tion, was e'en obliged to content myself with a most uneasy 

 jog trot. The country around Angostura is an elevated savan- 

 nah, mostly covered with wiry grass and stunted trees, afford- 

 ing little shade. Looking southward, the land appears to rise ; 

 and from several points we could see a distant range of hills ap- 

 parently clothed with wood. Occasionally occur the beds of 

 torrents, in which the soil is rich and wooded ; but in most 

 places it yields barely sufficient for pasturing the mules and cat- 

 tle, that are driven from the interior for the use of the capital. 

 At about 1| leagues' distance, crossed a small stream called the 

 Cano-fistula, and li league further another called the Marnanta, 



