90 BAUL AND SAN FERNANDO. 



been rebuilt in a more substantial niannei-. The introduc- 

 tion of brick a few years since, for architectural purposes, 

 is one stride forward in Venezuelian reform — the clay of 

 the Llanos furnishing the requisite material for their 

 manufacture. 



During the season of greatest floods, the country 

 around San Fernando is submerged, thus islanding the 

 town, when the canoe is the only means of maintaining 

 communication with other places. The heat throughout 

 the year is excessive, attaining its maximum in July and 

 August, the months of heaviest rains, when it reaches a 

 height of about 100° in the shade. In the dry season the 

 temperature is about ten degrees lower. In October, the 

 time of our visit at San Fernando, the rainy period of 

 the year was rapidly closing ; but the Llanos were, for the 

 most part, still inundated. The svibsiding of tlie waters 

 marks the time when intermittent fevers rage the worst, 

 and insects swarm the thickest. The fearful accounts we 

 had received of sancudos upon the Apure, and our own 

 experience with them upon the Portuguesa, led us to pro- 

 cure netting of fine cloth, which we made into mosquiteros 

 of such form and dimensions that they would cover our 

 hammocks entire when suspended. Beneath this protec- 

 tion, we could lie secure, and smile at sancudos as they 

 hovered in clouds without. 



Through our letter of introduction, we made the ac- 

 quaintance of Seuor L. Diaz, an intelligent and gentle- 

 manly physician, highly esteemed in San Fernando, who 

 cordially invited us to partake of the hospitalities of his 

 house. The doctor was a great lover of pets, and lived 

 surrounded by a perfect menagerie of the inhabitants of 

 the savannas and forest. Birds, large and small, of singu- 

 lar species and beautiful plumage, filled his house and 

 court-yard ; among them a great noisy guacamaya, which 

 had the run of the premises, and was as loquacious and as 



