522 



of the Silki, and having again found the path 

 we had cut through the thick wood of helico- 

 nias, we arrived at the Pejual, the region of 

 odoriferous and resinous plants. The beauty of 

 the befarias, and their branches covered with 

 large purple flowers, again attracted all our 

 attention. When in these climates we gather 

 plants to form our herbals, we become difficult 

 in our choice in proportion to the luxury of 

 vegetation. We cast away the branches we 

 have first cut, because they appear less beautiful 

 than those we could not reach. Overloaded 

 with plants in quitting the wood, we still regret 

 not having made a more ample harvest. We 

 tarried so long in the Pejual, that night sur- 

 prised us as we entered the savannah, at more 

 than nine hundred toises of elevation. 



As twilight scarcely exists between the tro- 

 pics, we pass suddenly from bright daylight to 

 darkness. The moon was on the horizon ; but 

 her disk was veiled from time to time by thick 

 clouds, hurried on by a cold and impetuous 

 wind. The steep declivities, covered with yel- 

 low and dry herbs, now appeared in shade ; and 

 now, suddenly illumined, seemed like preci- 

 pices, the depth of which the eye sought to 

 measure. We proceeded in a long line, and 

 endeavoured to assist ourselves by our hands, 

 that we might not roll down by falling. The 

 guides, who carried our instruments, abandoned 



