181 



cal. We walked as in a narrow furrow, scoop- 

 ed out by torrents, and filled with fine and 

 tenacious clay. The mules lowered their crup- 

 per, and slid down the steepest slopes. This 

 descent is called Saca Manteca, on account of 

 the consistence of the mud, which is like but- 

 ter. The danger of the descent is nothing, ow- 

 ing to the great address of the mules of this 

 country. This clay, which renders the soil so 

 slippery, is produced by the frequent layers of 

 sandstone and schistose clay crossing the bluish- 

 gray alpine limestone. This last disappears as 

 we draw nearer to Cariaco. When we reached 

 the mountain of Meapira, we found it formed 

 in great part of a white limestone, filled with 

 pelagic petrifactions, and appearing to belong, 

 as is proved by the grains of quartz aggluti- 

 nated in the mass, to the great formation of 

 the seacoast breccia*. We descendjt his moun- 

 tain on the strata of the rock, the section of 

 which forms steps of unequal height. It is a 

 real chemin des echelles. Farther on, going out 

 of the forest, we reach the hill of Buenavista\^ 

 This hill is worthy of the name it bears ; since 

 from it may be seen the town of Cariaco, in the 

 midst of a vast plain filled with plantations, 

 huts, and scattered groups of cocoa palms. To 



* See p. 10, of this volume, for an account of this sand- 

 stone or calcareous puddingstone formation, 

 f Mountain of the Fine Prospect. 



