60 OVER THE MOUNTAINS TO THE LLANOS. 



upon our journey. For the sake of the curious, we will 

 incidentally remark that, aside from the suit worn, which 

 was woollen throughout, the extra clothing of each, to 

 which were added a few other necessary articles, Avas 

 packed in an ordinary army haversack. Each one was fur- 

 thermore supplied with a cobija, or poncho, and hammock, 

 and a gun with its accompanying paraphernalia. A few 

 simple instruments that were also added to our stock, with 

 a botanical box and press, completed our outfit, the en- 

 tire weight of which did not exceed one hundred and 

 twenty-live pounds, or an average of about forty pounds 

 to a man. 



Preparations for our journey being completed, we left 

 Puerto Cabello upon the afternoon of the 1 7th of Septem- 

 ber, reaching Valencia upon the evening of the following 

 day, where we spent one day in concluding arrangements 

 for the journey of eighteen leagues over the Cordilleras to 

 Pao — the head of canoe-navigation upon Pao River. A 

 donkey, which we afterward gave away, was purchased 

 for ten pesos, for the transportation of our baggage, and 

 by 5 p. M. we were ready for starting. It was not with- 

 out many misgivings that we left the genial and salubri- 

 ous climate of the mountain valleys for the submerged 

 and malarious regions of the Llanos, and the wild, unex- 

 plored forests of the Orinoco. We parted, too, with 

 many regrets from the friends formed during our brief 

 stay at Valencia, whose kindness will not soon be forgot- 

 ten. Especially are we indebted to SeSor E. Staal, a let- 

 ter of introduction from whom to a gentleman in Pao was 

 the commencement of a series which extended from place 

 to place across the continent, and which proved of invalu- 

 able service to us. After many a hearty shake of the 

 hand, accompanied with endless '■^huenas viajes,'''' and 

 " Bios guardes^'' we separated, turning our faces toward 

 the sierras of Nigua, with its long lines of shadowy hills 



