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birth to a river, and is inhabited by thousands 

 of nocturnal birds, the fat of which is employed 

 in the Missions to dress food, is an everlasting 

 object of conversation and discussion. Scarce- 

 ly has a stranger arrived at Cumana, when he 

 is told of the stone of Araya for the eyes ; of 

 the labourer of Arenas, who suckled his child ; 

 and of the cavern of Guacharo,, which is said 

 to be several leagues in length ; till he is tired 

 of hearing of them. A lively interest in the 

 phenomena of nature is preserved wherever 

 society may be said to be without life ; where, 

 in dull monotony, it presents only simple rela- 

 tions little fitted to excite the ardour of curi- 

 osity. 



The cavern, which the natives call a mine 

 of fat, is not in the valley of Caripe itself, 

 but at three short leagues distance from the 

 convent, toward the West-south-west. It opens 

 into a lateral valley, which terminates at the 

 Sierra del Guacharo. We set out toward 

 the Sierra on the 18th of September, accom- 

 panied by the Alcaids, or Indian magistrates, 

 and the greater part of the monks of the Con- 

 vent. A narrow path led us at first during 

 an hour and a half toward the South, across 

 a fine plain, covered with a beautiful turf. We 

 then turned toward the West, along a small ri- 

 ver, which issues from the mouth of the cavern. 

 We ascended during three quarters of an hour, 



