270 
rtrsTiNCT or Tnj5 mttlbr. 
the trunks of the trees, leap from one rock to another. 
Afraid of missing their mark, we saw them stop a few minutes 
to scan the ground, and bring together their four feet like 
wild goats. If the animal does not reach the nearest block 
of stone, he sinks half his depth into the soft ochreous clay, 
that fills up the interstices of the rock. "When the blocks 
are wanting, enormous roots serve as supports for the feet of 
men and beasts. Some of these roots are twenty inches 
thick, and they often branch out from the trunks of the trees 
much above the level of the soil. The Creoles have sufficient 
confidence in the address andinstinctof the mules, to remain 
in their saddles during this long and dangerous descent. 
Tearing fatigue less than they did, and being accustomed to 
travel slowly for the purpose of gathering plants and exa- 
mining the nature ol the rocks, we preferred going down 
on foot ; and, indeed, the care which our chronometers de- 
manded, left us no liberty of choice. 
The forest that covers the steep flank of the mountain of 
Santa Maria, is one of the thickest I ever saw. The trees 
are of stupendous height and size. Under their hushv, 
deep green foliage, there reigns continually a kind of dim 
daylight, a peculiar sort of obscurity, of which our forests of 
pines, oaks, and beech-trees, convey no idea. Notwithstand- 
ing its elevated temperature, it is difficult to believe that the 
air can dissolve the quantity of water exhaled from the sur- 
face of the soil, the foliage of the trees, and their trunks : 
the latter are covered with a drapery of orchidese, peperomia, 
and other succulent plants. With the aromatic odour of 
the flowers, the fruit, and even the wood, is mingled that 
which we perceive in autumn in misty weather. Here, as in 
the forests of the Orinoco, fixing our eyes on the top of the 
trees, we discerned streams of vapour, whenever a solar ray 
penetrated, and traversed the dense atmosphere. Our guides 
pointed out to us among those majestic trees, the height 
of which exceeded 120 or 130 feet, the curucay of Terecen. 
It yields a whitish liquid, and very odoriferous resin, which 
was formerly employed by the Cumanagoto and Tagiri In- 
dians, to perfume their idols. The young branches have 
an agreeable taste, though somewhat astringent. Next to 
the curucay and enormous trunks of hymeiuea, (the diameter 
of which was more than nine or ten feet), the trees which 
