CITERA. 



443 



arrival of a champana from Carthagena. I im- 

 mediately went down to see her, and found 

 her a large, commodious boat, well suited for 

 the river : she was coppered, and was the 

 first boat of the kind that had that trouble 

 taken with her, in consequence of which they 

 found she came much easier up the river. 

 Their cargo consisted of every kind of article, 

 called by the North Americans a cargo of no- 

 tions." The market is, however, very dull here : 

 it takes an age to sell off a very small stock ; 

 though, when paid, you get from one hundred 

 to three hundred per cent. 1 did not obtain 

 any news, as each person appeared wrapped 

 up in his own particular business, without 

 thinking about the rest of the world. 



March 7th. Breakfasted very early with 

 Mr. Higson ; and set off with two negroes to 

 the woods, in order to procure specimens of 

 the Liria, or Palo de Vaca tree, and various 

 shrubs, celebrated for curing the bites of 

 snakes. We entered the woods in the rear of 

 the town, preceded by a negro to clear the 

 way with a machetta, and to look out for 

 snakes, so as to advise us in time. 



After an hour s walking, we found the Palo 



