a pool of muddy water, surrounded by a few trees. To catch the Gymnotic Eel, as it is called, he had imagined that nothing more was wanting than a boat and a few harpoons; but to his great surprise he soon saw his guides returning from the savannah, with about thirty wild Horses and Mules, which they immediately forced to enter the pool. The extraordinary noise caused by the horses hoofs, makes the fish issue from the mud, and excites them to combat; these yellowish and livid Eels, there. fore, resembling large Water Serpents, swim on the surface of the lake, crowd under the bellies of the animals sent to disturb them, and commence a contest of a very singular description. The Indians, provided with harpoons and long slender reeds, surround the pool closely, and some climb upon the trees, the branches of which extend horizontally over the surface of the water. By their wild cries, and the length of their reeds, they prevent the horses from running away, and reaching the bank of the pool. The Eels, stunned by the noise, defend themselves by the repeated discharge of their electric batteries, and, during a long time, seen to prove victorious. Several horses sink beneath the violence of the shocks, which they receive from all sides, in organs the most essential to life, and stunned by their force, frequently disappear under the water. Others, panting, with the mane erect, and haggard eyes expressing

anguish, raise themselves, and endeavour to flee from the enemies, by which they are attacked; they are however, driven back by the Indians into the middle of the water, but a small number succeed in eluding the vigilance of the Eshermen. These regain the shore, stumbling at very step, and stretch themselves on the sand, exhausted with fatigue, and their limbs benumbed by the electric shocks of the Gymuoti.

In less than five minutes, two horses were drowned. The Eel, being five feet long, and pressing itself against the belly of the horse, makes a discharge along the whole es put of its electric organ. It is natural that the effect felt by the horses should be most powerful, though they are, probably, not killed, but only stunned by the electric shock, and are drowned, from the impossibility of rising amid the long struggle between the other horses and the Eels.

There was little doubt that this cruel mode of fishing would terminate, by killing successively all the animals engaged; but, by degrets, the impetuosity of this unequal combat diminished, and the wearied Eels dispersed. They require a long rest, and abundant nourishment to repair what they have lost of their electric force. The Mules and Horses appear less frightened, their manes are no longer bristled, and their eyes express less dread. The Eels approach timidly to the edge of the marsh, where they are taken by means of small harpoons, fastened to long cords, and when these cords are very dry, the

Indians feel no shock in raising the fish into the air. In a few minutes, Philips had five large Eels, the greater part of which were but slightly wounded, and some more were taken by the same means towards evening. These Electric Fels, were of a fine olive green, the under part of the head was yellow mingled with red, and two rows of small yellow spots ran along the back, from the head, to the end of the tail.

The next day, Philips threw in some small fish into the water where the Eels were kept, and at once perceived that this power was given to the animal for the purpose of taking its prey. Immediately on approaching the fish it intended to seize, it darted its invisible stroke at its victim, which never failed to take away all power of flight, and to cause it to float as if dead on the surface of the water, When Philips at. tempted to seize the eel with both his hauds, he received as it were a blow, which he felt through his sinews, and which made them tingle, and the same effect was felt by several of the Indians. One man, indeed, was fool-hardy enough to seize the animal and hold his grasp, but the coase. quences were near being fatal: he fell down as i in a fit, and was several hours before he recov ered the use of his limbs.

The Cargo which Philips carried out to Cumana, for some time sold but slowly, and there was reason to apprehend that more time would elapse before he should be at liberty to

take in a fresh lading; he, therefore, having fouud a companion ready to accompany him, resolved to employ the intervening time, in making an excursion up the great river Orinoco, the mouth of which lay but a few miles from Cumana, and which being navigable for a great part of its course, and running through a most interesting country, promised to afford him much gratification. It had also to him another recommendation, for he remembered to have read, that so long ago as 230 years, Sir Walter Raleigh, a gallant English Admiral, had sailed 600 miles up its stream.

Before we proceed, however, to describe the excursion on which Philips was Dow about to embark, it is necessary to say something of the general appearance of South America, in order that the reader may carry in his mind some idea of the great features which nature has marked on it. South America, then, is a great peninsular continent; that is, it is surrounded by water except at its North West point, where the narrow strip of land, (which in one part, is only thirty-seven miles broad,) called the Isthmus of Darien, connects it with the other continent of North America. Its figure may be said to be triangular, the' base of which is formed by that long and irregular line of shore lying between Terra Del Fuego South, and the Gulf of Panama North, which is washed by the Pacific Ocean. The two other sides,

meet at Cape St. Roque in the 5th degree of South Latitude, and run along the Southern and Northern Atlantic Ocean, till the latter forms that part which is called the Caribbean Sea. All this extensive country, extending through 67 degrees of latitude, or 4,700 miles, is divided between two European powers, the Spaniards and the Portuguese, the Colonies belonging to Great Britain and France being only slips of the coast, and even the unconquer. ed countries very small, when compared with those of the two powers first named.

Through this vast extent of country, there runs from South to North, almost parallel with the Pacific Ocean, an unbroken range of moun. tains called the Andes, some of which, as we shall have occasion hereafter to describe, rise to the height of 21,000 feet, or about three Irish miles above the level of the sea. From the Western or Pacific Ocean, the land rises suddenly into this great ridge, so that in many parts it reaches its highest point, at about 150 miles from the western shore, while towards the east, it slopes more gradually, and frequently extends to the length of 1,500 or 2000 miles, before it reaches the Atlantic Ocean. This great ridge sends out several parallel branches from its side, which run eastward to the Atlantic Ocean, but it will simplify our notion of the country, if we consider only three of them. The first or most northern, frouts the Caribbean Sea; the second