1822.] 
indisposition, I sincerely regretted the 
loss of my thermometer, which pre- 
vented my ascertaining the change 
with exactness. We reached the sum- 
mit between twelve and one o’clock. 
I here felt myself most seriously un- 
well, a disposition of the stomach to 
sickness, accompanied with a lightness 
of the head; drowsiness and numbness 
in my feet, which made me almost in- 
sensible to surrounding objects, which 
indeed the drizzling rain and thick 
cloudy atmosphere, would in any case 
have prevented my perceiving with 
distinctness. The passage across the 
summit occupied us but a very short 
time, but the uneasy motion of my 
mule on the long and tedious descent, 
obliged us to seek the Jenta, as I was 
quite unable to proceed farther without 
resting. We reached the Jenta between 
three and four o’clock, where having 
yemained an hour, we continued our 
route to the next Indian village, by 
name Timotes, where we arrived at 
six o’clock in the evening, much fa- 
tigued. As the temperature became 
gradually more moderate in the descent, 
the sides of the mountain resumed an 
appearance of vegetation, in which 
were mingled various species of flowers, 
blackberries and other fruits, natives of 
cool climates. Shortly after we passed 
the Paramo a considerable quantity of 
snow fell, which we were much con- 
gratulated upon escaping; indeed in 
blustering weather the Paramo is alto- 
gether impassable. One of our mules 
was missing upon the descent and was 
found dead the following morning. 
Timotes is a small Indian village, 
very similar to Mucuchies, but less 
populous and more temperate. We 
here passed the night and departed 
the followimg morning between nine 
and ten o’clock for Mendoza, having 
obtained a relay of mules and horses. 
Scarcely had we left Timotes when 
we began to ascend the Cordillera. 
Again the ascent occupied us more than 
four hours, passing through the clouds 
as usual, but without experiencing the 
cold of the Paramo of yesterday, which 
this morning occasioned me a most un- 
welcome fit of the ague accompanied 
with slight fever. We reached the sum- 
mit about two o’clock, and commenced 
immediately the descent towards Men- 
doza, where we arrived without any 
material occurrence, between five and 
six o’clock, and took up our lodging 
with the Alcalde. 
Recent Journey in Columbia. 3 
Mendoza is a small village similar to 
Mucuchies and Timotes; the climate is 
a few degrees warmer than either, and 
containing fewer Indians. As wheat 
grows here to great perfection, the inha- 
bitants make excellent bread. Every 
other description of provision is scarce 
to a degree scarcely credible. We ob- 
tained achange of animals, and left the 
following morning between eight and 
nine o’clock. 
A strong fit of ague and fever obliged 
me to stop at the house of a cottager 
shortly after leaving Mendoza, where 
we remained till three in the afternoon. 
At half-past four we passed through the 
village of Valera, which is important 
only from the circumstance of its being 
situated on the road from Truxillo te 
Maracaibo. General Bolivar had pas- 
sed through on his way to the latter 
city only three days previous. The 
approach of night obliged us to remain 
in the house of the Estanquere on Sa- 
vannah Larga, having previously cros- 
sed the river Motatan, and obtained a 
sight of the village of the same name 
from the Savannah, which is situated 
upon a moderate eminence. 
Having risen early the following 
morning intending to continue our route 
to Truxillo, we discovered, much to 
our surprise and mortification, that our 
Peones had disappeared in the night 
with the mules that were furnished us 
im Mendoza, and had also carried away 
my pistols. Don Fernando accordingly 
left alone for Truxillo with one of our 
own mules, whieh had fortunately been 
spared. I remained at Savannah Larga 
until the day following, anticipating 
another attack of the ague and fever, m 
which expectation however, I was most 
agreeably disappointed. ‘The morning 
subsequent having passed the wood 
which succeeds Savannah Larga, ft 
reached at ten o’clock the small village 
of Paupanito, where I staid «turing the 
heat of the day in the house of the Padre. 
At six o'clock in the evening | arived at 
Truxillo, whence Don Fernando had 
come out to meet me. The latter part of 
the road as I approached the city, be- 
eame more populous and presented 
many specimens of cultivation, of which 
Indian corn, sugar-cane and plaintains 
were the principal. 
A variety of circumstances occasion- 
ed our detention eight days in Truxillo, 
where we were hospitably entertained 
by the late Governor, Colonel Carillo. 
The city is hemmed in on all sides by 
mountains, 
