274 
DEPASTURE FBOM THE CONVENT. 
familiar to him. The turf that overspreads the soil ; the old 
moss and fern that cover the roots of the trees ; the torrents 
that gush down the sloping banks of the calcareous rocks ; hi 
fine, the harmonious accordance of tints reflected by the 
waters, the verdure, and the sky ; everything recalls to the 
traveller, sensations which he has already felt. 
The beauties of this mountain scenery so much engaged 
us, that we were very tardy in observing the embarrassment 
felt by our kind entertainers the monks. They had but a 
slender provision of wine and wheaten bread; and although 
in those high regions both are considered as belonging merely 
to the luxuries of the table, yet we saw with regret, that our 
hosts abstained from them on our account. Our portion of 
bread had already been diminished three-fourths, yet violent 
rains still obliged us to delay our departure for two days. 
How long did this delay appear! It made us dread the 
sound of the bell that summoned us to the refectory. 
We departed at length outlie 22nd of September, followed 
by four mules, laden with our instruments and plants. We 
had to descend the north-east slope of the calcareous Alps of 
Hew Andalusia, which we have called the great chain of the 
Brigantine and the Cocollar. The mean elevation of this 
chain scarcely exceeds six or seven hundred toises : in respect 
to height and. geological constitution, wc may compare it to 
the chain of the Jura. Notwithstanding the inconsiderable 
elevation of the mountains of Cumana, the descent is ex- 
tremely difficult and dangerous in the direction of Cariaco. 
The Cerro of Santa Maria, which the missionaries ascend in 
their journey from Cumana to their convent at Caripe, is 
famous for the difficulties it presents to travellers. On com- 
paring these mountains with the Andes of Peru, the Pyrenees, 
and the Alps, which we successively visited, it has more than 
ouce occurred to us, that the less lofty summits are some- 
times the most inaccessible. 
On leaving the valley of Caripe, we first crossed a ridge of 
hills north-east of the convent. The road led us along a con- 
tinual ascent through a vast savannah, as far as the table-land 
of Gruardia de San Augustin. We there halted to wait for 
the Indian who carried the barometer. We found ourselves 
to be at 533 toises of absolute elevation, or a little higher 
than the bottom of the cavern of G-uacharo. The sava"nahs 
