78 



the province to the Valles de Aragua. Mr. 

 Bonpland then found in the thickest part of the 

 forest some plants of aguatire, the wood of 

 which, celebrated for it's fine red colour, may 

 one day become an article of exportation to 

 Europe. It is the sickingia erythroxylon des- 

 cribed by Messrs. Bredemeyer and Willdenow. 



Descending the woody mountain of Higue- 

 rota toward the South- West, we reached the 

 small village of San Pedro *J situate in a basin, 

 where several valleys meet, and which is almost 

 three hundred toises lower than the table-land 

 of Buenavista. Plantain-trees, potatoes ^, and 

 coffee were cultivated together on that spot. 

 The village is very small, and the church was 

 not yet finished. We met at an inn (pulperiaj 

 several European Spaniards employed at the 

 tobacco office. Their ill humour formed a sin- 

 gular contrast with our disposition. Fatigued 

 with the road, they vented their displeasure in 

 complaints and maledictions against the wretch- 

 ed country (estas tierras infelices) , where they 

 were doomed to live; while we were never 

 wearied of admiring the wild scenery that 

 surrounded us, the fertility of the soil, and the 

 mildness of the climate. Near San Pedro, the 

 talcose gneiss of Buenavista passes into a mica- 



* Absolute height, 584 toises* 

 f Solanum tuberosum. 



