very punctilious, the rest of the day is devoted to dancing, a recreation which the blacks are passionately fond of.

"Amongst the most liberal laws adopted by the first national congress, is that of abolishing slavery after the present generation. A fund is also established for the purpose of annually redeeming a certain number from bondage, so that in a few years the unnatural distinction will no longer exist. From the period of passing the decree, the children of slaves are declared free, but bound to indemnify the master, who has been at the expense of clothing and feeding them, either by a certain number of years of personal servitude, or an equivalent to the expense incurred.

"We were seated at dinner on the balcony which surrounds the house, when all the children belonging to the estate, to the number of about sixty-the boys in one line, the girls in another-descending by a winding path from the village, approached the church, singing in very good time a hymn or evening prayer: when in front of the house, they all knelt down in the same order, and, lifting up their hands, prayed aloud. All religious ceremonies are impressive; and in the present instance, that feeling was greatly enhanced by the situation-as it were, in the midst of the wilderness. Taken by surprise, the effect of so many young creatures addressing their Creator in the same words and tone, joined with the consideration, how inestimable a blessing the introduction of Christianity, although so disfigured, is amongst a race of beings but lately barbarians, made it the most impressive sight I recollect to have wit

nessed."

The Writer does not mention the temperature of the valley, but, if it were not sufficiently indicated by the nature of the produce, the circumstance of our Traveller's being kept awake by "myriads of mos

quitoes," in alliance with a small fly called ejen, more diminutive, but not less persecuting, than a flea, precludes the necessity of reference to the barometer. Heavy rains detained the party here next day till about noon. They then commenced their route by entering a forest, and fording a small river, which intersects the road by its windings at least a dozen times. But torrents of rain soon overtook them, and compelled them to halt for the night, at the end of two leagues at Vijagual-an "Indian cottage," in the most romantic spot imaginable. "Situated on a gentle rise, it commands a view of the mountainous forest that encompasses it on all sides, for the most part impervious to man, and the residence of animals hostile to his nature. The gloomy silence is here broken by the impetuous course of the River Macuti, now much swollen by the rains." In this cottage in the wilderness, the Travellers met with the most hospitable treatment on the part of the inmates. A tolerably level and good road, following the course of the river, through the same magnificent forest scenery, conducts to the parroquia of Bayladores, a distance of six leagues. Here, for the first time, the Writer saw the tobacco-plant in cultivation, which is still a government monopoly; but the restrictions are to be repealed as soon as the financial exigencies of the state will admit of it. A considerable quantity is grown in this neighbourhood, and there is a government establishment in the town for the manufacture

of segars and snuff. This circumstance may possibly account for the reputed attachment of the inhabitants to the Spanish interest. A division of Spanish troops, under La Torre, was quartered here for eleven months. Another league brought the Travellers to La Cebada, so called from the quantity of barley grown there. Two ridges of wooded mountains enclose an extensive vale running E. and W., the greater part of which is sown with grain, leaving

patches of rich pasturage. Several detached farmhouses, of neat appearance, add to the picturesque effect of the scenery. But in none of these could be found an inhabitant, and the Travellers were obliged to proceed, to the extremity of the vale, called La Pleyta, where they were more fortunate. The owner of a solitary farm-house in this retired spot, proved to be the individual to whom they were furnished with recommendations from the family at Vijagual. Here, towards evening, they found it very cold; the thermometer was at one time as low as 55°. The next day's journey lay over the small paramo of Portachuelo to La Grita,-a distance of only five leagues, but the descent through the forest which clothes the declivity, is extremely tedious and fatiguing. La Grita, at one time the head town of the province of Maracaybo, was founded in 1576, with the dedicatory title of Espiritu Santo superadded to the name given to it by the natives in their battles. It is rather prettily situated on an eminence commanding the view of a large and cultivated valley, hemmed in by mountains. The district used to yield abundance of cocoa and sugar, and large herds of cattle are bred in the pastures. The town is now too large for the population; many of the houses were found deserted. The women are for the most part tall, very plain, and much disfigured by goitres; a disease very prevalent throughout this line of mountainous country. The river which rises opposite the city (for it bears this title), runs N.W., and falls into the Sulia.* A good and level road along the valley for five leagues, leads to El Cobre, so called from the copper mine in its neighbourhood. The road then passes over the paramo

* In Alcedo's Dictionary, La Grita is stated to be forty-six miles from Merida, and sixty-seven from Pamplona. It must be at least eighty miles from the former, and 100 from the latter.

† Alcedo mentions mines of copper in the district of La Grita, which, he says, are not worked; also, quarries of "a blue stone in high request among the painters."

called El Zumbador (the hummer), from the incessant violence of the wind on the summit, which often renders the passage extremely dangerous, driving the mules sideways, and frequently threatening to hurl both mule and rider into the abyss below. Our Traveller was, however, disappointed at being balked of the anticipated difficulties of the passage: the wind was calm, the temperature as high as 60°. The view from the summit is very grand, comprehending an immense tract of country, terminating in a high chain of mountains running S.W. and N.E., and apparently the highest from the level of the plain of any that the Writer had seen, not excepting, he says, the Silla of Caracas. At the foot of the mountain, on the other side, is a solitary house called Los Caneis; but, this being occupied, the Travellers pushed on to Savanna Larga, distant ten leagues from La Grita.

The rich and picturesque valley on which the Travellers had now entered, is watered by the River Tormes. They halted at the village of Tariva, and in the evening proceeded three leagues further, to the village of Capachio, seated on an eminence commanding the whole vale. The next day, they passed the village of San Antonio de Cucuta, and, a little beyond, crossed the Tachira,—a river that formerly divided Venezuela from New Granada. At the end of twelve leagues from Savanna Larga, they had the satisfaction of finding themselves at

CUCUTA.

*

"Rosario de Cucuta will ever be famed in the annals of Colombia, as the town in which the first general congress was held, and where the constitution was formed. In 1820, the deputies of Venezuela and

*This is apparently an error for San Antonio de Tachira, the name given it by Alcedo.

New Granada assembled here: their session, which lasted three months, was held in the sacristy of the parish church. At present," adds the Writer, "there is nothing to commemorate this important event; but the church in which it took place, is by far the neatest and in the best preservation of any we have hitherto seen: the architecture is somewhat in the Moorish style, and would do no honour to a country more advanced in the arts. It is kept in the nicest order,—the least respect that can be paid to its important history. Amidst a quantity of trash, it contains a Madonna and child, painted by a Mexican artist of the name of Paez, and evidently copied from Raphael's Madonna del Pesce, which surpasses what one might expect from a South American artist. It is the offering of a late archbishop of Caracas, and was painted in 1774. The appearance of the town is extremely pleasing. Surrounded by rich haciendas in excellent cultivation, it stands, as it were, in the midst of a delightful garden. The perspective at the extremity of each street, terminates in a beautiful vista, with high mountains in the back ground. The town, which is not large, is neat and well built. It has not suffered from the earthquake. The houses, though not large, have a clean appearance. streets are paved, and have a current of water running through the middle. The inhabitants appear to be very fond of dancing. Every evening, they assemble in the square to the number of fifty or sixty, and figure away with great animation to the most deafening music, by the light of paper lanterns, and the glare of innumerable segars. The chief instruments are calabashes filled with Indian corn, which are rattled to the thrumming of guitars."

The

This scanty information is all that we are able to furnish respecting this interesting spot, the Washington of the Colombian Republic; for this little