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very lively, very energetic in it's muscular move- 

 ments, and yet the electrical shocks it gave us 

 were extremely feeble. They became stronger 

 on galvanizing the animal by the contact of 

 zinc and gold. Other tembladores, real gymnoti 

 or electrical eels, inhabit the Rio Colorado, the 

 Guarapiche, and several little streams, that 

 cross the missions of the Chayma Indians. They 

 abound also in the large rivers of America, the 

 Oroonoko, the Amazon, and the Meta ; but the 

 strength of the current, and the depth of the 

 water, prevent their being caught by the Indians. 

 They see these fish less frequently than they 

 feel electrical shocks from them when swim- 

 ming or bathing in the river. In the Llanos, 

 particularly in the environs of Calabozo, be- 

 tween the farms of Morichal and the missions 

 de arriba and de abaxo, the basins of stagnant 

 water, and the confluents of the Oroonoko, 

 (the Rio Guarico and the Canos of Rastro, 

 Berito, and Paloma) are filled with electrical 

 eels. We at first wished to make our experi- 

 ments in the house we inhabited at Calabozo ; 

 but the dread of the electrical shocks of the 

 gymnoti is so great, and so exaggerated among 

 the vulgar, that during three days we could not 

 obtain one, though they are easily caught, and 

 we had promised the Indians two piastres for 

 every strong and vigorous fish. This fear of the 

 Indians is the more extraordinary, as they do 



