CHAPTER Y. 



VALENCIA AND PUERTO C^\J3ELLO. 



Hacienda of Mr. Glockler. — Coffee. — Cacao. — Tiger-Huut. — A Tropical 

 Forest. — Lost on tlie Mountains. — A Cheerless Niglit. — Exit from the 

 Wilds.— Eeturn to Valencia. — Descent to the Sea-coast. — Papaw- 

 Tree. — " Cow-Tree." — Thermal Springs. — Discomforts of Life at a 

 Hacienda. — Cocoa-Palm. — Mangroves. — Puerto Cabello. 



While at Valencia, we made the acquaintance of Mr. 

 Glockler, the German consul from Hamburg. Mr. Glock- 

 ler was the owner of a large estate about two leagues 

 from the city, and thither he invited us for the purpose of 

 a tiger*-hunt among the mountains. The pleasing diver- 

 sion which such an excursion promised, besides the oppor- 

 tunity presented of making valuable collections from the 

 high altitudes of the Cordilleras, toward whose lofty sum- 

 mits we had often cast a wistful eye during our abode 

 upon the plains, induced us to accept the proposal. 



Leaving Valencia upon the road which leads to Puerto 

 Cabello, we soon abandoned it, and, turning to our left, 

 crossed a ridge of hills -which brought us into a finely-cul- 

 tivated, lateral valley, opening upon the larger plain of 

 the lake. It was noon when we alighted at the hacienda,\ 

 one of the largest and finest we saw in the country, wliere 



* The Fells onra of naturalists ; generally known as the jaguar, or 

 American tiger. 



f Hacienda is a term used to designate alike landed estate and the 

 usually large dwelling situated upon the same. 



