20 



of which augmented the splendor of the aerial 

 light. The aspect of this spot struck us the more, 

 as we then first beheld those great masses of 

 tropical vegetation. On the hill of Quetepe, at 

 the foot of the malpighia cocollobaefolia, the 

 leaves of which are extremely coriaceous, we 

 gathered, among tufts of the polygala montana, 

 the first melastomas, especially that beautiful 

 species described under the name of the melas- 

 toma rufescens. The remembrance of this spot 

 will remain long impressed on our minds. The 

 traveller preserves a fond predilection for those 

 places, where he meets with a group of plants 

 which he had never before beheld in their wild 

 state. 



As we advanced toward the south-west, the 

 soil became dry and sandy. We climbed a 

 group of mountains, which separate the coast 

 from the vast plains, or savannahs, bordered 

 by the Oroonoko. That part of this group, over 

 which passes the road to Cumanacoa, is desti- 

 tute of vegetation, and has steep declivities to- 

 ward both the north and the south. It is de- 

 signated by the name of the Impossible, because 

 it is believed, that, in the case of the landing of 

 an enemy, this ridge of mountains would offer 

 an asylum to the inhabitants of Cumana. We 

 reached the top a little before sun-set, and I had 

 scarcely time to take a few horary angles, to 



