Personal Narrative Of Travels To The Equinoctial Regions Of America During The Years 1799-1804 - Volume 3 - By Alexander Von Humboldt And Aime Bonpland.
- Page 106 of 635 - First - Home
THE LLANOS DEL PAO, OR EASTERN PART OF THE PLAINS OF VENEZUELA.
MISSIONS OF THE CARIBS.
LAST VISIT TO THE COAST OF NUEVA BARCELONA, CUMANA, AND ARAYA.
Night had set in when we crossed for the last time the bed of the
Orinoco.
We purposed to rest near the little fort San Rafael, and on
the following morning at daybreak to set out on our journey through
the plains of Venezuela. Nearly six weeks had elapsed since our
arrival at Angostura; and we earnestly wished to reach the coast, with
the view of finding, at Cumana, or at Nueva Barcelona, a vessel in
which we might embark for the island of Cuba, thence to proceed to
Mexico. After the sufferings to which we had been exposed during
several months, whilst sailing in small boats on rivers infested by
mosquitos, the idea of a sea voyage was not without its charms. We had
no idea of ever again returning to South America. Sacrificing the
Andes of Peru to the Archipelago of the Philippines (of which so
little is known), we adhered to our old plan of remaining a year in
New Spain, then proceeding in a galleon from Acapulco to Manila, and
returning to Europe by way of Bassora and Aleppo. We imagined that,
when we had once left the Spanish possessions in America, the fall of
that ministry which had procured for us so many advantages, could not
be prejudicial to the execution of our enterprise.
Our mules were in waiting for us on the left bank of the Orinoco.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 106 of 635
Words from 29078 to 29337
of 174507
