Personal Narrative Of Travels To The Equinoctial Regions Of America During The Years 1799-1804 - Volume 1 - By Alexander Von Humboldt And Aime Bonpland.
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Those Of Turmero And Guacara Are The Most
Numerous.
They are of small stature, but less squat than the
Chaymas; their eyes denote more vivacity and intelligence, owing
less perhaps to a diversity in the race, than to a superior state
of civilization.
They work like freemen by the day. Though active
and laborious during the short time they allot to labour, yet what
they earn in two months is spent in one week, in the purchase of
strong liquors at the small inns, of which unhappily the numbers
daily increase.
We saw at Turmero the remains of the assembled militia of the
country, and their appearance alone sufficiently indicated that
these valleys had enjoyed for ages undisturbed peace. The
capitan-general, in order to give a new impulse to the military
service, had ordered a grand review; and the battalion of Turmero,
in a mock fight, had fired on that of La Victoria. Our host, a
lieutenant of the militia, was never weary of describing to us the
danger of these manoeuvres, which seemed more burlesque than
imposing. With what rapidity do nations, apparently the most
pacific, acquire military habits! Twelve years afterwards, those
valleys of Aragua, those peaceful plains of La Victoria and
Turmero, the defile of Cabrera, and the fertile banks of the lake
of Valencia, became the scenes of obstinate and sanguinary
conflicts between the natives and the troops of the mother-country.
South of Turmero, a mass of limestone mountains advances into the
plain, separating two fine sugar-plantations, Guayavita and Paja.
The latter belongs to the family of Count Tovar, who have property
in every part of the province.
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