2 Excursion from Angostura to the 



Cumamo. Was assured the Capuchins were in the habit of 

 transporting their cattle by this route to avoid the duties of 

 export ; the path is closed at present, but was told by a per- 

 son who had himself attempted it, that it might easily be 

 opened again. This mission is certainly the best situated of 

 any for an establishment ; and Sedeno appears to think so, for 

 he has settled his family and has a part of his cattle here, 

 from 3 to 600. He has also held out the project of forming it 

 into a town, and many Creoles have accordingly removed hither. 

 All have, like others, suffered from the fever. The Indians of 

 this mission, a mixture of Guayanos and Caraibs, have an ex- 

 cellent character for docility ; but the fever and the want of 

 proper supplies, have driven most of them into the woods. 

 Counted 69 habitations empty, or nearly so ; perhaps the 

 intrusion of the Creoles has aggravated the desertion ; the two 

 castes never agree. Witnessed, for the first time, the evening 

 service performed by the house-boys ; about seven of them 

 chanted the service in a careless catholic manner ; few or none 

 of the natives assisted. The church and conventual buildings 

 are good and substaijtial. In the former is a well-executed 

 image of the archangel Michael, shewn to strangers as a pro- 

 digy. The Residence has a garden and grapery exposed to the 

 east; it was suffering much from want of rain; As we oc- 

 cupied the Padre's own apartment, took the usual liberty of rum- 

 njaging his library, but found no records ; nothing but tlieology, 

 together with a list of the Hiladeras, (female-spinners,) who 

 amounted to 417 ; there is reason to believe the missions con- 

 tained more than appear in the returns: that of 1803 states 

 this settlement to have been established in 1746, and to have 

 had 817 inhabitants only. Amused myself at shooting on a 

 sort of pond for the cattle ; killed six wild-ducks and three 

 negrocops ; the rifle answered well for small-shot. On my way 

 home, met the cattle returning from pasture; the cows, calves, 

 and bullocks are always driven separately. Sedeno has judi- 

 ciously obtained a grant of 2,500 head, part of which he keeps 

 here, and the rest at Tumeremo. Palmar has no communica- 

 tion with Guayana Vieja except through Upata, which lies 



