40 



and vast inundated plains of the lower Oroonoko* 

 the Apure, and the Atabapo^ while they form 

 thick woods, several leagues in length, in the 

 north west, in New Grenada, and in the kingdom 

 of Quito. We might assert, that the western de- 

 clivity of the Andes is their true country ; and, 

 what is remarkable enough, we found them not 

 only in the low regions, at the level of the ocean, 

 but also in the lofty vallies of the Cordilleras at 

 the height of 860 toises. 



The road skirted with bamboos led us to the 

 small village of San Fernando, which is situate 

 in a narrow plain, surrounded by very steep cal- 

 careous rocks. This was the first Mission * we 

 saw in America. The houses, or rather the huts 

 of the Chayma Indians, separated from each 

 other, are not surrounded by gardens. The 

 streets, which are wide and very straight, cross 

 each other at right angles. The walls, which 

 are very thin and slight, are made of clay, 

 strengthened by lianas. The uniformity of this 

 construction, the grave and taciturn air of the 



* A certain number of habitations collected round a 

 church, a missionary monk performing the ministerial duties, 

 is called in the Spanish Colonies Mision or Pueblo de mision. 

 Indian villages, governed by a priest, are called Pueblos 

 de doctrina. They make a distinction between the Cura doc- 

 trinero, who is the priest of an Indian parish, and the Cura 

 rector, priest of a village inhabited by whites and men of 

 mixed race, 



