He owns the electric light plant here and is interested in various
enterprises. He has introduced us to an old follower of his, Antonio,
a typical horse trader, very plausible but a little too sharp. The
latter has tried very hard to sell us a number of mules, some with
girth sores and others with back sores, but we have not patronized
him as yet.
People here say that in the dry season, from December to March,
there is a passable cart road from here to Barinas, a distance of about
two hundred miles. No one knows what kind of country hes be-
tween Barinas and Arauca on the Colombia frontier, or whether
it will be possible to take a cart beyond Barinas. Our friend Don
Carlos thinks that we will be able to do so, although we may be check-
mated by some of the rivers. As we can put all of our outfit on a
light cart, where it will be much safer and give us less trouble than
if transported on pack mules, we have decided to try that method
as far as it is practicable. Don Carlos has been interesting himself
in finding out what is known about the battle-field of Carabobo.
He owns a pack of hounds and has frequently taken them to hunt
deer and peccaries in that locality, but has not been much concerned
with its history heretofore. He says that one of his hounds is "an
English setter that was elevated in Denmark."



VALENCIA AND CARABOBO



29




FROM THE Tower or the Cathedral.
