XII 
IN HUMBOLDT'S COUNTRY 
an ancient Indian settlement. (It is now known as 
the Pueblo viejo, and was formerly inhabited.) 
Dec. 23. — To-night we are anchored on a playa 
(beach) in sight of Esmeralda, but as we could not 
have reached it by daylight, and there is no 
travelling here by night, we preferred leaving the 
short remnant of the voyage for moonlight in the 
early morning. Duida looks down on us from the 
left and has seemed close by since entering the 
Orinoco ; nor has our change of position much 
changed its aspect till late this afternoon, when 
rounding a point the southern end came in view 
deeply cloven into four abrupt ridges. At sunset 
the mountain was very grand, the ridges assuming 
a purple hue, while the interstices were veiled in 
impenetrable gloom, and a stratum of white fleecy 
cloud was floating below the summit. The con- 
formation was much like that of the Serra de 
Curicuriarf, but less picturesque. My telescope 
shows that, except in a few places where the rock 
is very steep (whitish, sometimes streaked with 
brown), the mountain is forest -clad to its very 
summit. Yet so clear does it stand out to view, 
and so much nearer does it seem than it is in 
reality, that one would aflirm its sides to be clothed 
with fern. Two flat summits to the north of the 
middle of the mountain seem to be the highest 
points, judging from the height of the clouds floating 
over them. The space below these is singularly 
hollowed out, and is said to be occupied by 
a laguna. The north extremity is a subconical 
peak. 
Last night we supped on a large playa and to- 
day have come on several more. Sometimes so 
VOL. I 2 D 
