—
CHAPTER
VII.
—A Narrow Escape—West-
To Puerto Cabello— El Bailarin— The Indian Path
—
ward Ho Harbour of Puerto Cabello Holy Crackers On to Valencia. !
— How
to baffle Yellow Jack
—
Having made up my mind go from Cai'acag
b}"
to see Valencia, I resolved to
the hot sea-route, recruit in the mode-
and return by Ai-aguas, along the
rate climate of Valencia,
"When I had
shores of the celebrated Lake of Tacarigua.
my
selected
route, and persuaded
my
companion, at least as far as Puerto thing was to just heard
fix
of a
the
date
of oui'
Guaii'a, having caught
senses,
it
the President,
at
next
had
La
we had the evidence of our and most unhealthy
However, as I was very anxious to meet
General Falcon, whose arrival
hope of getting the ride to fierce,
fever
my
the disease at Puerto Cabello, and
was expected, we determined to
grew
We
departm'e.
being, in fact, the hottest
tune of the year.
Cabello, the
European d^ing of yellow
as to the intensity of the heat,
own
friend C. to be
start immediately.
La Guau*a
I rose on the 8th of
walked over to C.'s house.
at
Valencia
In the
over before the sun
August
at
4 a.m., and
I and he were to go by the
short cut over the mountains called the Indian Path, and m)' seiwant was to follow with the impedimenta road.
the
But the course of
fii'st
travel never did
by the coach
run smooth, and
annoyance was, that the mules we were to ride did