THE RIVER MAXZAXAREZ. 63 



bodies, to give their skins a black polish. The persona 

 who came to purchase examined the teeth of these slaves, 

 to judge of their age and health, forcing open their 

 mouths as if they had been horses in a market. 



The first excursion of the travellers was to the peninsula 

 of Ara ja. They embarked on the Eio Manzanares on the 

 19th of August, about two in the morning. The principal 

 objects of this excursion were, to see the ruins of the cas- 

 tle of Araya, to examine the salt-works, and to make a 

 few geological observations on the mountains forming 

 the narrow peninsula of Maniquarez. The night was de- 

 lightfully cool; swarms of phosphorescent insects glis- 

 tened in the air, and over the groves of mimosa which 

 bordered the river. 



When, on descending the river, they drew near planta- 

 tions, they saw bonfires kindled by the negroes. A 

 light and undulating smoke rose to the tops of the palm- 

 trees, and imparted a reddish hue to the disk of the 

 moon. It was on a Sunday night, and the slaves were 

 dancing to the music of the guitar. The bark in which 

 they passed the gulf of Cariaco was very spacious. Large 

 skins of the jaguar, or American tiger, were spread for 

 their repose during the night. Though they had been 

 scarcely two months yet in the torrid zone, they had 

 already become so sensible to the smallest variation of 

 temperature that the cold prevented them from sleeping. 



They landed at Araya, and examined the salt-works, 

 and having finished their operations, departed at sunset 

 to sleep at an Indian hut, some miles distant, near the 

 ruins of the castle of Araj^a. Night overtook them 

 while they were in a narrow path, bordered on one side 

 by the sea, and on the other by a range of perpendicular 



