MULES. 187 



town and small plain of Villietas, which, 

 surrounded by several chains of mountains, 

 romantic and diversified, appears secluded 

 from the world and its busy scenes, and 

 forcibly reminds the spectator of the happy 

 Abyssinian valley so beautifully described 

 by Johnson. We continued the ascent of 

 the zigzag Alpine road over the mountains, 

 which was formerly completely paved, but is 

 now out of repair, and, in consequence of the 

 rains, was in a very difficult, not to say dan- 

 gerous state. In this route we occasionally 

 met with troops of muleteers, conducting 

 their mules, chiefly laden with blankets for 

 the army, to Honda. These men had com- 

 plexions fairer and ruddier than those of 

 the neighbourhood of Caraccas. Each drove, 

 consisting of about fifty mules, has three 

 or four muleteers, under the guidance of a 

 caporal; but when the droves greatly exceed, 

 or amount, as they sometimes do, to double 

 that number, the muleteers are usually 



