OF BAECXN 1 HUMDOLDT. 89 



The old prior smiled at Humboldt J s researches, 

 his instruments, and the collection of dry plants ; 

 all which he pronounced useless things, whilst 

 he asserted " that, in his opinion, of all the 

 enjoyments of life, sleep not excepted, nothing 

 could equal a good piece of beef." 



Humboldt explored the volcanic regions of 

 these parts, visited the principal place of the 

 mission, the Convent of Caripe, the other 

 stations, San Antonio and Guanguana, and 

 the cavern Guachoro, in the valley of Caripe. 

 He was the first who acquainted Europe with 

 the existence of this cavern ; in the interior of 

 which, according to the tradition of the abori- 

 gines, the spirits of their ancestors dwell; to 

 them a sacred place, in which no one ventured 

 to enter. The travellers reached the town of 

 Cariaco, which they immediately left on account 

 of a contagious disease, and returned to Cumana, 

 where Humboldt continued his studies respect- 

 ing the tribes and the languages of the Indians, 

 with whom he had already become acquainted. 

 His second visit to Cumana was characterized 

 by more extraordinary events. It appears that 

 Humboldt and Bonpland took their accustomed 

 walk on the shores of the gulf, on the evening 

 of October 27th, 1799, when they were sud- 

 denly attacked by a Zambo, a mixture of the 



