272 Trip from Angostura to the 



well-furnished repast, and each, squatting down near the fire, 

 drew from the pot his own portion. The family consisted of the 

 wife and sister, the daughter-in-law, and another woman, all 

 whose husbands were absent with the army, a great boy ill of 

 the fever, and a numerous younger progeny, all of whom had 

 suffered, or were suffering. Alas ! thought I, what benefit have 

 these people derived from the revolution ? The sight of a dollar 

 soon brought me a plant of cinchona, and darting through 

 the woods to the right, we returned by the banks of a torrent to 

 Upata. Cinchona grew in profusion all around us, and is 

 generally met with on the summits of the hills ; it is a shrub 

 about 14 feet high, with long lank branches, crowned with triple 

 leaves, each eight inches by four ; blossom white, in bunches 

 of three flowers ; smell, very strong. I saw no stem above six 

 inches thick ; the bark is yellowish brown, and more bitter than 

 even the Peruvian. The powder by itself is apt to purge, but 

 made into an extract, and taken with spirits, is nearly equal to 

 the genuine : the leaves burnt, exhale a fine aromatic smell ; 

 dried, and used as tea, they make a beverage not unpleasant, 

 though, from my own experience, very diuretic. On our return, 

 found our patient much better ; but recommended a second 

 dose of calomel. Accepted an invitation from Tarife, to visit 

 his hacienda, or sugar estate. We had attended his wife and 

 child, and he wished to show us some attention. 



6th. Accordingly set out with him this morning, and pur- 

 suing our former road northward for half a league further, 

 ascended the mountain which separates the savanna of Upata, 

 from that of Alta Gracia. Turned on the summit to the right, 

 and traversing woods abounding with cinchona for another 

 half league, found ourselves in a beautiful glen, in which 

 were two sugar plantations. In the hollow ran a^mountain- 

 Stream, on either side lofty hills, covered with perpetual shade ; 

 on the small level at their foot, the rich soil produced the canes 

 in great perfection. The space was shared between two pro- 

 prietors — Tarife occupying the lower portion. Found things 

 conducted on a better scale than elsewhere. His mill was, 

 indeed, constructed of hard wood, and so required to be re- 



