269 



of the lake toward Guacimo and La PalnuL 

 From the top of a table-land, at three hundred 

 and twenty toises of elevation, we saw for the 

 last time the valleys of Aragua. The gneiss 

 appeared uncovered, presenting* the same direc- 

 tion of strata, and the same dip toward the 

 North-West. Veins of quartz, that traverse the 

 gneiss, are auriferous ; and hence the neighbour- 

 ing ravine bears the name of quebrada del oro. 

 We heard with surprise at every step the name 

 of ravine of gold, in a country where only one 

 single mine of copper is wrought. We travelled 

 five leagues to the village of Maria Magdalena, 

 and two leagues more to the Villa de Cura. It 

 was Sunday, and at the village of Maria Mag- 

 dalena the inhabitants were assembled before the 

 church. They wanted to force our muleteers to 

 stop, and hear mass. We resolved to remain ; 

 but, after a long altercation, the muleteers pur- 

 sued their way. I ought to add, that this is the 

 only dispute in which we were engaged from 

 such a motive. Very erroneous ideas are formed 

 in Europe of the intolerance, and even of the 

 religious fervour of the Spanish colonists ! 



San Luis de Cura, or, as it is commonly called, 

 the Villa de Cura, is founded in a very barren val- 

 ley, lying North-West and South-East, and ele- 

 vated, according to mybarometrical observations, 

 two hundred and sixty-six toises above the level 

 of the ocean. The country, with the exception 



