DEI'AJITUKJB EEuil CALABOZO. 
131 
to all the phenomena of muscular motion subject to voli- 
101 dt u ill perhaps be found that) in most animals, every 
ontraetion of the muscular fibre is preceded by a discharge 
ttom the nerve into the muscle; and that the'mere simple 
°ntact of heterogeneous substances is a source of move- 
* U ad or l?^ mz:e d beings. Did an ingenious 
th . , e v P eo P- e ; the Arabians, guess from remote antiquity, 
oat the same force which inflames the vault of Heaven in 
orms, is the living and iu visible weapon of inhabitants of 
ie waters? It is said, that the electric fish of the Nile 
>jrs a name in Egypt, that signifies thunder* 
} ■ r e left the town of Calabozo on the 24th of March, 
satisfied with our stay, and the experiments we had 
lo./ ! ° n an ob -i ect 80 wortl >y of the attention of physio- 
the* St t' 1 had besides obtained some good observations of 
m stara 5 and discovered with surprise, that the errors of 
tude a ™° unt:ed here also to a quarter of a degree of lati- 
t! ■ ' A o person had taken an observation before me on 
from r/ 5 and geographers, magnifying as usual the distance 
lt ,„, coast to the islands, have carried back beyond 
asure all the localities towards the south. 
foimVlt advanced ^o tIie southern part of the Llanos, we 
iiiirl Cl tbe S 1 ' 01111 *! more dusty, more destitute of herbage, 
tre e 111 6 crae l £ed by the effect of long drought. The palm- 
el d . lsa PP eared by degrees. The thermometer kept, from 
the v 1Q t,le mornin g till sunset, at 34° or 35°. The calmer 
enypi a PP enred at eight or ten feet high, the more we were 
current r 11 those wbu ' lwinds °f dust , caused by the little 
in the IT air that swee P tbe ground. About four o’clock 
Upo n Hi attKn i°on, we found a young Indian girl stretched 
apoenrla 8avaunah - Slle "as almost in a state of nudity, and 
ba Ustpl ••°i f about twelve or thirteen years of age.' Ex- 
"'h Wltb fatigue and thirst, her eyes, nostrils, and mouth 
1 V,IS T aS enfeel3led by bad health, the lateral shock 
f° r *n a c u • ^ 1 ® > an< ^ * n or ^ er to feel the shock, it was necessary to 
»n his intern * t0Ut ;h the tish with both hands at once. Cavendish, 
these differ p>° US e *P er i m cnts on an artificial torpedo, had well remarked 
'**hUoaonhir»? de P en ^ n g on the greater or less energy of the charge. 
* i t P mcal Transactions, 1776 , p. 212 ). 
J *hund er however, that a distinction is to be made between rakd 
•‘fcph ‘ r2hadh > the electrical fish; and that this latter word mean? 
• ^at w uch causes trembling/ 
