248 JOURNEY FROM ANGOSTURA. 



above condensed narrative; and we think it unne- 

 cessary to follow our learned author through his 

 description of that portion of the river which extends 

 from Angostura to its mouths, especially as it is not 

 founded on personal observation. 



CHAPTER XX. 



Journey across the Llanos to New-Barcelona. 



Peparture from Angostura Village of Cari Natives New-Barcelona 

 Hot Springs Crocodiles Passage to Cumana. 



IT was night when our travellers for the last time 

 crossed the bed of the Orinoco. They intended to 

 rest near the little fort of San Rafael, and in the 

 morning begin their journey over the llanos of 

 Venezuela, with the view of proceeding to Cumana 

 or New-Barcelona, whence they might sail to the 

 island of Cuba, and thence again to Mexico. There 

 they purposed to remain a year, and to take a passage 

 in the galleon from Acapulco to Manilla. 



The botanical and geological collections which 

 they had brought from Esmeraldaand the Rio Negro 

 had greatly increased their baggage ; and as it would 

 have been hazardous to lose sight of such stores, 

 they journeyed but slowly over the deserts, which 

 they crossed in thirteen days. This eastern part of 

 the llanos, between Angostura and Barcelona, is 

 similar to that already described on the passage from 

 the valley of Aragua to San Fernando de Apure ; but 

 the breeze is felt with greater force, although at this 

 period it had ceased. They spent the first night at 

 the house of a Frenchman, a native of Lyons, who 

 received them with the kindest hospitality. He was 

 employed in joining wood by means of a kind of glue 



