326 JOURNEY. 



lost the use of his hand ; and his tongue 

 would have become black and paralyzed, 

 so as to preclude the possibility of speech 

 for twenty-four hours. 



The road now lay through thickets ap- 

 parently little frequented, until about six 

 o'clock, when we reached the banks of the 

 Saldanea once more, where I embarked in 

 a canoe ; two boys swimming the mules 

 across, on which they were seated, divested 

 of all clothing. 



I soon after arrived at Apone, and went 

 to the cottage of Filipe Ramairez, the owner 

 of the mine, whom I had pictured to my- 

 self as a Colombian gentleman, but who 

 proved to be a labouring man of colour. 

 He received me very civilly; and on my 

 reading the letter of introduction to him, 

 (an office he could not perform for himself,) 

 he did all in his power to accommodate me. 



