45 



served to us, that the custom of marrying at 

 thirteen or fourteen years of age contributes 

 greatly to this rapid increase of population. He 

 denied that old age was so premature among 

 the Chaymas, as is commonly believed in Eu- 

 rope. The government of these Indian parishes 

 is very complicated : they have their governor, 

 their major-alguazils, and their militia-comman- 

 ders, who are all copper-coloured natives. The 

 company of archers have their colors, and per- 

 form their exercise with the bow and arrow, in 

 shooting at a mark ; this is the national guard 

 [militia] of the country. This military esta- 

 blishment, under a purely monastic system, 

 seemed to us very singular. 



On the night of the 5th of September, and 

 the following morning, there was a thick fog ; 

 yet we were however not more than a hundred 

 toises above the level of the sea. I determined 

 geometrically, at the moment of our departure, 

 the height of the great calcareous mountain, 

 that rises at 800 toises distance to the south of 

 San Fernando, and forms a perpendicular cliff 

 on the north side. It is only 215 toises higher 

 than the great square ; but naked masses of 

 rock, which here exhibit themselves in the midst 

 of a thick vegetation, give it a very majestic as- 

 pect *. 



* The base, directed toward the mountain, was 290 feet. 

 Angles of altitude, 14° 25' 6 V , and 15° 17? 36", Barometer, 



