90 JOURNEY FROM G01ANA TO RIO GRANDE. 



The next day we advanced about seven 

 leagues, and, for the first time, I slept in the open 

 air. We intended to have taken up our lodging 

 for the night at a neighbouring hamlet, but the 

 huts were so small and miserable, being con- 

 structed of the leaves of palm trees, that I pre- 

 ferred the open air. We made for the rivulet 

 which runs at a little distance from these habita- 

 tions ; the horses were immediately unloaded, 

 and their pack-saddles taken off, that they might 

 roll in comfort. The next thing to be done, was 

 to get fire-wood, — in most parts of the country 

 it is very plentiful ; and as we were upon the 

 skirts of a thick wood, there was here no want of 

 it. A light was struck, and two fires made ; we 

 got an additional pan from one of the neigh- 

 bouring huts, and our dried meat was cooked. 

 The meat is dried in the old Indian manner, by 

 laying it upon a platform of twigs, raised about 

 eighteen inches from the ground, and making a 

 fire underneath. We discovered that not far off) 

 a field or piece of land, rather more cleared of 

 wood than the rest, was rented by a cottager, 

 who would allow our horses to be put into it for 

 a vintem, about five farthings each, for the night, 

 which the guide thought I should consider dear, 

 and therefore told me, it was the usual price. As 

 may be supposed, I made no great difficulties on 

 this score, and the horses were taken to the 

 place by Julio and his companion. I now 



