388 



Llanos had settled at Guayaval, because the in- 

 habitants of a mission are exempt from the 

 authority of the secular arm. Here, as in New 

 Holland, it cannot be expected, that good colon- 

 ists will be formed before the second or third 

 generation. 



We passed the Guarico, and encamped in the 

 savannahs South of Guayaval. Enormous bats, 

 no doubt of the tribe of phyllostomes, hovered 

 as usual over our hammocks a great part of the 

 night. It seems at every moment as if they were 

 going to fasten on the face. Early in the morn- 

 ing we pursued our way over low grounds, often 

 inundated. In the season of rains, a boat may 

 be navigated, as on a lake, between the Guarico 

 and the Apure. We were accompanied by a 

 man, who had visited all the farms (hatos) of 

 the Llanos^ in order to buy horses. He had 

 given two thousand two hundred piastres for 

 a thousand horses. The price of course is lower 

 in proportion as the purchase is more consider- 

 able *. We arrived on the 27th of March at the 



* Jn the Llanos of Calabozo and of Guayaval, a young' 

 bull, two or three years old, costs one piastre. If castrated 

 (an operatiou rather dangerous in so hot a climate) from* 

 five to six piastres. An ox hide dried in the Sun is worth 

 two rials of plate and a half (one peso z= eight rials) ; a hen, 

 two rials j a sheep, at Barquesimeto and Truxillo, for there 

 are none to the East of these towns, three rials. As these 

 prices will necessarily vary in proportion as the Spanish 



