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the farm, and mark with a hot iron all that do 

 not already bear the mark of the proprietor. 

 These Mulattoes, who are known by the name 

 of Peones Llaneros, are partly freed men and 

 partly slaves. There does not exist a race more 

 constantly exposed to the devouring heat of the 

 tropical Sun. Their food is meat dried in the 

 air, and a little salted ; and of this even their 

 horses sometimes eat. Always in the saddle, 

 they fancy they cannot make the slightest ex- ; 

 cursion on foot. We found an old Negro slave, 

 who governed the farm in the absence of his 

 master. He told us of herds composed of 

 several thousand cows, that were grazing in the 

 steppes, yet we asked in vain for a bowl of milk. 

 We were offered, in the shell of the tutumo, a 

 yellow, muddy, and fetid water, drawn from a 

 neighbouring pool. The indolence of the in- 

 habitants of the Llanos is such, that they do not 

 dig wells, though they know that almost every 

 where at ten feet deep fine springs are found in 

 a stratum of conglomerate, or red sandstone. 

 After having suffered one half of the year from 

 the effect of inundations, they patiently expose 

 themselves, during the other half, to the most 

 painful want of water. The old Negro advised 

 us, to cover the cup with a linen cloth, and 

 drink as through a filter, that we might not be 

 incommoded by the smell, and swallow less of 

 the fine yellowish clay suspended in the water. 



