341 



The hatos of oxen have suffered considerably 

 of late from troops of vagabonds, who roam 

 over the steppes killing the animals merely to 

 take their hides. This robbery has increased 

 since the trade of the Lower Oroonoko is become 

 more flourishing. For half a century, the banks 

 of that great river, from the mouth of the Apure 

 as far as Angostura, were known only to the 

 missionary monks. The exportation of cattle 

 took place from the ports of the northern coast 

 only,Cumana, Barcelona, Burburata, and Porto- 

 Cabello. This dependence on the coast is now 

 much diminished. The southern part of the 

 plains has established an internal connexion with 

 the Lower Oroonoko; and this trade is the more 

 brisk, as those who devote themselves to it easily 

 escape the trammels of the prohibitory laws. 



The greatest herds of cattle that exist in the 

 Llanos of Caraccas are those of the hatos of 

 Merecure, la Cruz, Belen, Alta Gracia, and 

 Pavon. The Spanish cattle came from Coro 

 and Tocuyo into the plains. History has pre- 

 served the name of the colonist, who first con- 

 ceived the happy idea of peopling these pastur- 

 ages., in which deer only brouzed, and a large 

 species of cavy, the thick-nosed tapir, or river 

 cavy, cavia capybara, called chiguire in those 

 countries. Cbristoval Rodriguez sent the first 

 horned cattle into the Llanos*, about the year 



* Fray Pedro Simon, not. 5, cap. xiv, No. 2, p. 371. 



