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guey * rise here and there, the flowery stalks of 

 which are more than 26 feet high. Having reach- 

 ed the table-land of Guardia, we appeared to be 

 transplanted to the bottom of an old lake, levelled 

 by the long-continued abode of the waters. We 

 seemed to trace the sinuosities of the ancient 

 shore, tongues of land that advance themselves, 

 and craggy rocks that rise in the form of islands. 

 This ancient state of things seems indicated 

 even by the distribution of vegetation. The 

 bottom of the basin is a savannah, while it's 

 banks are covered with trees of full growth. 

 This is probably the most elevated valley in the 

 provinces of Venezuela and Cumana. It is to 

 be regretted, that a spot where so temperate a 

 climate is enjoyed, and which without doubt 

 would be fit for the culture of corn, is totally 

 uninhabited. From the table-land of Guardia 

 we did nothing but descend, till we reached the 

 Indian village of Santa Cruz. We passed at 

 first by a slope extremely slippery and steep, to 

 which the missionaries had given the singular 

 name of Purgatory -f~. It is a rock of schistose 

 sandstone, decomposed, covered with clay, and 

 the talus of which appears of a frightful steep- 

 ness ; as from the effect of an optical illusion, 

 which is very common, when we look from the 



* Agave Americana. 



+ Baxada del Purgatorio. 



M 2 



