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set out from the beautiful Hacienda de Cura for 

 Guacara and Nueva Valencia. We preferred 

 travelling by nighty on account of the excessive 

 heat of the day. We passed by the hamlet of 

 Punta Zamuro, at the foot of the high moun- 

 tains of Las Viruelas. The road is bordered 

 with large zamang trees or mimosas, the trunks 

 of which rise to sixty feet high. Their branches, 

 nearly horizontal, meet at more than 1 ' one hun- 

 dred and fifty feet distance. I have no where 

 seen a vault of verdure more beautiful and 

 luxuriant. The night was gloomy : the Devil's 

 Wall and it's denticulated rocks appeared from 

 time to time at a distance, illumined by the 

 burning of the savannahs, or wrapped in ruddy 

 smoke. At the spot where the bushes were the 

 thickest, our horses were frightened by the yell 

 of an animal, that seemed to follow us closely. 

 It was a large tiger, that had roamed for three 

 years among these mountains. He had con- 

 stantly escaped the pursuits of the boldest hun- 

 ters ; and had carried off horses and mules from 

 the midst of enclosures ; but, having no want of 

 food, had not yet attacked men. The Negro, 

 who conducted us, uttered wild cries. He 

 thought he should frighten the tiger ; but these 

 means were of course without effect. The 

 jaguar, like the wolf of Europe, follows travel- 

 lers, even when he will not attack them ; the 

 wolf in the open fields, and in unsheltered 



