4 Recent Journey in Columbia. 
and huts, constructed, as usual, with 
mud and cane. 
The climate of Estanques and San 
Juan is hot. Between eight and nine 
o'clock in the morning. we left the 
latter for Meridu. The Alcalde, who 
had been remarkably obliging during 
our stay, accompanied us a short dis- 
tance on our route. 
We commenced this day’s journey by 
descending into a stony valley, which 
apparently had been the bed of a river. 
The scenery around us assumed a 
somewhat more agreeable aspect, as the 
mountains were a little wider separated, 
and afforded small squares of land, 
which were in many places cultivated 
with tobacco, sugar cane, Indian corn 
and plaintains, About a league anda 
half distant from the road by which we 
passed, is situated a lake which, from 
the description IT had heard of it, ex- 
cited a curiosity I was sorry not tohave 
an opportunity to gratify. In its bed 
is deposited a species of salt, termed by 
the natives, urado, which possesses 
most valuable and useful qualities when 
mixed with an extract of tobacco, 
named chimon. To obtain this salt 
the Indians are compelled to dive to the 
bottom of the lake in water four and 
five fathoms deep, bringing it to the 
surface in very small] portions at atime. 
Difficult as it is to obtain it, this salt 
is sold at so reasonablea rate, that an 
Indian, who exposes his life a dozen 
times in a day, can seldom earn beyond 
three or four rials. The urado has not 
yet been discovered in any other part of 
the republic. It produces extraordi- 
nary effects in fattening horses, and is 
usefulfor a variety of other purposes, 
but its chief employment is in making 
the chimon as above mentioned. We 
remained two hours at the village of ’El 
Egido, which is rather more than half 
way between San Juan and Merida. 
We were here very kindly entertained 
by the Cura, Padre Pena, an old friend 
of Don Fernando’s, and arrived at Me- 
rida about five o’clock iu the evening, 
where we took up our quarters with the 
governor by previous invitation. 
Merida possesses a climate nearly as 
cool as that of Caraceas, and has suffered 
equally in proportion by the earthquake 
of 1812, which has destroyed the whole 
square and all the principal bnildings. 
A convent is remaining, in which there 
are now about twenty-three nuns, with 
some of whom we were permitted to con- 
verse through an iron-grating. The city 
[Feb. 1, 
has evidently been once considerable, 
but is now comparatively a heap of ruins. 
Fruits are generally abundant, and the 
temperature of that. extraordinary de- 
scription,that either cloth or linen cloth- 
ing are equally agreeable. The water 
is most excellent. There has been a mo- 
derate commerce with Maracaibo since 
the armistice, and the country round 
is extremely fertile. The pepulationof 
the town is probably from 8 to 10,000 
souls. The inhabitants are famous for 
making hammocksand preserves. 
The difiiculty of procuring the ani- 
mals necessary for the continuation of 
our journey, detained us in Merida till 
mid-day, and we arrived consequently 
at Mucucheis the next stage, in the 
rain, after dark. The road, as usual, 
presented an almost continual surface 
of stones, which delayed our progress : 
along ascent which we encountered in 
approaching the village contributed 
also to retard us. We found the at- 
mosphere gradually becoming colder, 
till when in Mucucheis it appeared to 
us equal to that of the winter months 
in England. The want of a fire, and 
every species of comfort, made this 
change very disagreeable. We lodged 
with the cura, who treated us with 
much civility. 
Mucuchies formerly contained 3000 
Indians, who are now, by the joint 
efforts of the Spaniards and the smalk 
pox, reduced to less than half that 
number. and those, as in every other 
village through which we had passed 
hitherto, are living in the last degree 
of poverty and misery. The curate 
hasa few fields of wheat near at hand, 
which thrive well. Having partaken 
of some rancid beef aud a few bad pota- 
toes, we retired early in the hopes of 
warming ourselves, and in order to rise 
early the folloving morning to cross 
the Paramo, which the temperature 
very plainly indicated we had begun 
already to ascend. There were fifteen 
cases of the small pox in Mucuchies 
when we left it. 
We arose at day-light and began 
loading the mules with all possible de- 
spatch: the morning was cold and clear, 
and consequently favourable for pas- 
sing the Paramo. About eight o’clock, 
having taken leave of the worthy curate, 
we left Mueuchies, and continued the 
ascent, which we found more gradual 
than any we had yet experienced. The 
cold increased, and although the rarity 
of the atmosphere occasioned me much 
indisposition, 
