CHAPTER XX.

TO THE LLANOS.

My application at the governor's office was for a passport from Maturin to the city of Bolivar, on the river Orinoco. The passport, thanks to the civility of the governor's neglected suitor, I obtained from the Alcalde of the town.

Iefa. polita. del. Cann.

Capl.

No. 96.

REPUBA. DE Veneza. MATURIN, Abl. 8 de 18—.

PASAPORTE.

Se le concede al Cudadano ingles Carlos Dance pa. Ciudad Bolivar con su familia.

Iefetera Politica.

ANTO JOSE CAMINO. SOLEDAD, Abril 21 de 18

Se presentaron

pasen.

El Gefe Pco.

BALBINO ROMERO.

We had all suffered in health from the privations consequent on the siege. Prices were high, and the shock given to the agricultural and commercial business of the district, by the revolution

ary disturbances, was likely to be felt for a long time. Some of the Indians were hiding away from both the contending parties, others were forcibly detained to fight, and great numbers were killed in battle. Labour was therefore scarce, and the cornucas and haciendas were depopulated. I thought it advisable to retreat to a larger city, containing more of the foreign element of population, and one that had escaped, and not very likely to undergo, the ordeal through which Maturin had passed and was still passing. My friends, the Italian merchant and the estimable Italian doctor, from different stand-points, endeavoured to dissuade me from the journey, placing before me the distance and perils of such an overland route, and pleasant pictures of the immediate future of Maturin.

To facilitate the travelling, I purchased two donkeys, one the best animal of the kind I have ever seen. It was fortunate for me that the Italian merchant was present at the purchase. As the American, from whom I obtained it, was leaving the place, my friend told him that one

A Stolen Donkey.

189

thing only was wanting to complete the transaction, which was a receipt, duly attested, for the payment made for the donkey. He returned and gave me the receipt. Three days after I observed two decent-looking young Llaneros examining the donkey rather curiously, and then they claimed it as their property. The American had married into their family, and, according to their account, was changing everything of theirs he could lay hands on into money, with the intention, they believed, of absconding from the place and deserting his wife. They were unwilling to push the matter, on sight of the receipt, in consideration of their sister's feelings and the good name of the family. The American was worse a great deal than a crazy-headed young Scotchman, who being sent on from Trinidad by his brother, to arrange accounts with some mercantile houses here, preferred to walk up from the caña; but being wearied almost to death, he, on entering the savanna, saw several donkeys, which he supposed to be common property, probably confusing republicanism with socialism, and

mounting one he came into the town, followed by a crowd laughing, hooting and jibing.

"Ingles, teefy teefy burro!" said they, in their best English; meaning, Englishman, you have stolen the donkey!

"Buenos dias! adonde es Maturin ?" was his constant reply, in his only Spanish, which he intended for Good day! where is Maturin? His mercantile friends compromised the matter.

I engaged a guide, a tall, thin Sambo, of middle age, as straight as an arrow, and inured to all weathers. He introduced two men to me as desirous of joining the travelling party; one was Mr M'Donald, a Scotchman; and the other, M. Wilhelm, a German. The starting place appointed by the guide was a country house on the road, a short distance from the town. The two Italians came to see us off, and to wish us every blessing. As for M. José, the merchant, he tried to persuade us to leave our little daughter with him; she had suffered most of all. He was a widower, and childless, and promised that he would soon be in Angostura, as the city of Bolivar is familiarly

called, from the narrowness of the river in that quarter. We knew he loved her, but we could not think of leaving one of our little ones behind us. He then produced a little packet, containing a necklace and money, which, he said, he had put up for Ninine, and he placed it in her hand. A few months later, she went to her eternal rest.

A mystery envelops the early life of this strange old man, whose character-decided, firm, but impatient of opposition-was as different from mine as one could well be from another. Yet, our growing intimacy was sometimes a little irksome to me, as our conversation, if conducted in French or Spanish, kept me too much on a strain. Nor was it better when he attempted to converse in English. He was of a thoughtful mind, and spoke anxiously of Christianity; but always as one who doubted, and yet would wish not to doubt. My way of speaking, respecting Christianity, was, at first, very surprising to him, trained, as he was, to the Romish view, but it had a growing attraction for him.

An old black man, a little fellow, scarcely more than skin and bones, but as agile as a monkey,