22 Excursion from Angostura to the 



reporting that the boy had gone off for Angostura the preceding 

 day, and that my new mule, although tied according to my 

 directions, had broke loose in the night, and taken the road to 

 Euri, in Avhich direction he had traced her. To add to my mis- 

 fortunes, the white mule, the only one now fit to carry the bag- 

 gage, was stolen from the pasture, having been loosed from the 

 horse to which she had been tied. The neighbourhood was scour- 

 ed in vain. Was now reduced to an awkward predicament. My 

 horse and former baggage-mule were not in a condition to pro- 

 ceed ; was obliged to turn them out. No other was to be pur- 

 chased in the place. Suspicion fell at length upon a man just 

 come up from Guayana for the express purpose of collecting 

 mules. Carried him before the commandant, and though he 

 acknowledged he had taken a mule from my door, and was 

 unable to prove the one he produced (which turned out to have 

 the Government mark, and was forthwith embargoed,) was the 

 same he had taken, yet, as the fact could not be brought directly 

 home to him, contented myself with threatening to shoot him if 

 overtaken upon the road with my mule in his possession. Can- 

 not say what effect this produced, further than that, the day 

 after he left the place, my animal was found in a neighbouring 

 pasture, tied to one of Landa's, which had also been missing. 

 Being still short of cavalry, K. was obliged to purchase a horse 

 of Cornejo, for which he asked thirty dollars, without intending 

 to sell, and was surprised by the bargain being insisted on. 

 Fortunately, also, the tame mule he had bought at Miamo 

 arrived at the same time, and we were once more in a condition 

 to travel. 



Staid near a week at Upata, during which Cornejo arrived 

 from Carapo to take charge of the missions, Uscategui having 

 resolved to try the air at Angostura. Took occasion to arrange 

 with the new Commissioner for the transport of the tobacco, 

 which it was agreed should be executed as soon as the corn and 

 provisions had been all forwarded. Also rode over with him to 

 Cupapuy to give instructions for its packing, which was to be 

 done in square bales of hide, weighing three arrabas each, and 

 pressed in the cotton-press. Another day rode over to visit 



