A SOUTH AMERICAN EOAD. qi 



stretcliing away in the distance. As we Avended our Avay 

 through the narrow streets, every window, door, and ve- 

 randa, was filled with heads, some drawn thither from 

 idle curiosity to see " Los Americanos," others to give us 

 a parting adios. 



The sun was lingering above the western hills when 

 we made our exit from the city, shedding its golden 

 beams over mountains, plains, and forests, as if to give us 

 one more glorious view of this lovely valley. We shall 

 not soon forget either the beauties of that sunset eve, or 

 the many scenes and associations of Valencia. It was 

 after dark when we halted for the night at the same 

 miserable posada which had sheltered us upon a pi'evious 

 occasion, when overtaken by night, and lost upon the 

 plains. In a small room, shared with a man and boy, 

 benches, tables, boxes, saddles, boards, poles, hoes, water- 

 jars, barrels, green cornstalks, sancudos, and fleas, we 

 managed to pass the night. It Avas scarcely dawn when 

 we were again on our journey, our road leading across a 

 grassy plain toward the range of hills which separates the 

 valley of Valencia from the Llanos beyond. 



One who has travelled only over the finely-built high- 

 ways of our country, can have but a faint conception of 

 what is analogous to such in the tropics. A road here 

 means simply a beaten path, with branches diverging in 

 every direction, to the utter bewilderment of the traveller. 

 Some of the roads consist of a number of parallel paths, 

 worn by the tread of animals into deep gullies, which, 

 upon the mountain-slopes, in the season of rains, consti- 

 tute water-channels, through which torrents flow down, 

 rendering travelling not only exceedingly difficult but 

 dangerous. ISTo biidges span the streams, which must be 

 crossed by fording or swimming, while exposed to vora- 

 cious caimans, or alligators, and other dangerous pests of 

 these tropical waters. 



