THE " GAEDEN OF VENEZUELA." 33 



feet above the sea, one-half that of the table-lands of Ca- 

 racas, and the average temperature during the day is 70° 

 to 75° Fahr., falling at night to about 60°. The soil is 

 most fertile, and every j^roduct of the tropics, with many of 

 northern latitudes, flourishes luxuriantly. CoSee is, how- 

 ever, the great stai)le of these regions. As we approached 

 Victoria, we passed extensive estates of this shrub, shaded 

 by gigantic trees to prevent the rapid absorption of moist- 

 ure from the soil, and to protect the ripening berry from 

 the burning heat of the sun. Great care in cultivation is 

 bestowed on these coffee-groves, and the harvest yielded 

 is proportionally fine ; the berry being of a superior qual- 

 ity, and the quantity greater than in most other places 

 where the shrub is cultivated. Wheat Avas formerly raised, 

 and produced, according to Humboldt, nearly sixteenfold ; 

 but, notwithstanding this large return, the greater profit 

 from the culture of coffee, cacao, and cotton, has caused 

 the cultivation of wheat to be wholly neglected, and the 

 demand for it is now supplied from the States. We saw 

 none of this cereal growing in the country, but were 

 informed that in the provinces of Merida and Trujillo 

 there is sufticient raised to sxipply the demands of these 

 districts. 



It was nearly dark when we entered Victoria and 

 reined our jaded animals up in front of quite a respect- 

 able-appearing posada. Weary and sore from our journey 

 of sixteen leagues over a rough mountain-road, we gladly 

 alighted from our saddles. A call for dinner was answered 

 by eight o'clock, when we sat down to our meal, which we 

 enjoyed with a keen relish, notwithstanding the successful 

 efforts of the cooks in destroying the natural flavor of 

 every dish with the inevitable garlics. 



In our wearied condition we were not, j^erhaps, in the 

 best humor to spare the feelings of our precious tnucliaclio 

 — we recalled our paying ten pesos for his invaluable scr- 



