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top to the bottom the road seems inclined more 

 than 60°. The mules in going down draw their 

 hind legs near their fore legs, and, lowering 

 their crupper, let themselves slide at a venture. 

 The rider runs no risk, provided he loosens the 

 bridle, and leaves the animal quite free in his 

 movements. From this point we perceived to- 

 ward the left the great pyramid of Guacharo. 

 The appearance of this calcareous peak is very 

 picturesque, but we soon lost sight of it, by en- 

 tering into the thick forest, which is known by 

 the name of the Montana de Santa Maria. We 

 descended without interruption for seven hours, 

 and it is difficult to form an idea of a more tre- 

 mendous descent ; it is a real chemin des echelles 

 [road of steps], a kind of ravine, in which du- 

 ring the rainy season impetuous torrents tumble 

 from rock to rock. The steps are from two to 

 three feet high, and the unfortunate beasts of 

 burden, after having measured with their eye the 

 space necessary to let their load pass between the 

 trunks of the trees, leap from one rock to ano- 

 ther. Afraid of missing their leap, we saw them 

 stop a few minutes to examine the ground, and 

 bring together their four feet like wild goats. If 

 t he animal do not reach the nearest block of stone, 

 he sinks half his depth into the soft ochrey clay, 

 that fills up the interstices of the rock. When 

 the blocks are wanting, enormous roots serve as 

 supports to the feet of men and beasts. These 



