DESCENT FROM THE MOUNTAIN'S. 275 
or natural meadows, which yield excellent pasture for the 
cows of the convent, are totally devoid of trees or shrubs. It 
is the domain of the monoeotyledouous plants ; for amidst 
the gramina only a lew Maguey* plants rise here and there; 
their flowery stalks being more than twenty-six feet high. 
Having reached the table-land of Guard ia, we appeared to be 
transported to the bed of an old lake, levelled by the long- 
continued abode of the waters. We seemed to trace the 
sinuosities of the ancient shore in the tongues of land which 
jut out from the craggy rock, and even in the distribution or 
the vegetation. The bottom of the basm is a savannah, while 
its banks are covered with trees of full growth. This is pro- 
bably the most elevated valley in the provinces of Venezuela 
and Cumana. One cannot but regret, that a spot favoured 
by so temperate a climate, and which without doubt would be 
fit for the culture of com, is totally uninhabited. 
Prom the table-land of Guardia we continued to descend, 
till we reached the Indian village of Santa Cruz. We 
passed at first along a slope extremely slippery and steep, 
to which the missionaries had given the name of Baxada del 
Purgatorio, or Descent of Purgatory. It is a rock of schis- 
tose sandstone, decomposed, covered with clay, the talus of 
which appears frightfully steep, from the effect of a very 
common optical illusion. When we look down from the top 
to the bottom of the hill the road seems inclined more than 
60°. The mules in goiug down draw their hind legs near to 
their fore legs, and lowering their cruppers, let themselves 
slide at a venture. The rider runs no risk, provided lie 
slacken the bridle, thereby leaving the animal quite free in his 
movements. Prom this point we perceived towards the left 
the great pyramid of Guacharo. The appearance of this 
calcareous peak is very picturesque, but we soon lost sight of 
it, on entering the thick forest, known by the name of the 
Montana de Santa Maria. We descended without intermis- 
sion for seven hours. It is difficult to conceive a more tre- 
mendous descent ; it is absolutely a road of steps, a kind of 
ravine, in which, during the rainy season, impetuous torrents 
dash from rock to rock. The steps are from two to three 
feet high, and the beasts of burden, after measuring with 
their eyes the space necessary to let their load pass betwee 
* Agave Americana. 
