ITEGEO FESTIVALS. 
177 
way of sale, but because the soldiers played for them at 
The first excursion we made was to the peninsula n* 
Araya, and those countries formerly celebrated for the 
slave-trade and the pearl-fishery. We embarked on the "Rio 
Err* n n r the ln - diai1 suburb ’ ° n the ioth ° f AugSt 
excursion w m f 6 m 0 T T g> - Tbe P rfnci P al objects o/this 
excursion were, to see the rums of the castle of Arava to 
examine the salt-works,. and to make a few geological oper- 
ations on the mountains forming the narrow peninsula of 
Mamquarez. The night was dehghtfiilly cool! s^rm" of 
phosphorescent insects * glistened in the air, and over a soil 
covered with sesuvium, and groves of mimosa which bordered 
the river. We know how common the glow-worm t is in 
effhpf > ld “i 311 tbe SOutl1 of Euro P e . but the picturesnuo 
sratf ^ P rod ^ ces ^ot be compared to those innumerable 
tffwvi ^ m °T § UgMs ’ which em beUish the nights^ of 
tast Sent°of’tr d S6em ° n tlle eart b, ^ong the 
valdt of heaven 8avanna!ls > the b ^«ncy of the starry 
When, on descending the river, we drew near plantations 
or charas we saw bonfires kindled by the negroes A fight 
and undulating smoke rose to the ins of tte palnJtS 
“ d " n P U c ted , a redd,sb hue t0 ^ disk of the moon. It 
• n r ^mday night, and the slaves were dancing to the 
music of the guitar. The people of Africa, of negro race 
are endowed with . an mexhaustible store of activity and 
flu™ 7 ' VT ing ended tbe labours of the week, the 
of ' Ieep recre “ i0ra 
The bark in which we passed the gulf of Cariaco was 
tiger were°sn re ad fo S ° ***** ° f J h ? jaguar > or American 
who h„e lived^loug SL Si 
* -Elater noctilucus. 
von. i. 
t Lampyris italica, L. noctilucF. 
