the evening he told me that some of the men at the farm were
going out next morning to catch fish; and, should I wish it, I might
accompany them, as they would return before the time we had fixed for
setting out. I gladly accepted the offer; as did the doctor, who was
curious to see the mode of fishing adopted by those sons of the desert.

We accordingly rode forth, with our llanero, Pablo, as guide--the
servants having set out some time before. We overtook them just as they
had arrived at a large pond--or lake, rather--surrounded by reeds, with
a few trees scattered here and there in the neighbourhood. They had
driven before them a small herd of horses and mules, many of which
appeared to be broken-down animals, such as I should not have supposed
were to be found on the llanos. As we approached the pond, we saw
several heads, resembling those of large serpents, just lifted above the
surface; and now and then I caught sight of a huge, thick-bodied,
snake-like creature gliding through the water, seven or eight feet in
length.

"What are they?" I asked of Pablo.

"The fish we are going to catch," he answered.

"Fish, my friend, they really are," observed the doctor, "though known
as gymnoti, or electric eels; and truly glad I am that I came to see
them caught."

The men were armed with harpoons and long slender rods. They now
collected the horses and mules, and with loud shouts drove them into the
lake. The combined effect of the horses' hoofs and the men's shrieks
was, that numbers of the hideous-looking gymnoti issued from the mud in
which they lay hid and came to the surface of the water, when they
simultaneously made a dash at the unfortunate animals swimming and
floundering about. The scene was a most extraordinary one. Several of
the horses, being struck by these electric eels, succumbed to the
violence of the invisible strokes which they were receiving from all
sides, and disappeared beneath the water; others, with manes erect and
eyeballs wild with pain, strove to escape from their enemies, but were
driven back again by the Indians with their long rods; while several of
the gymnoti, approaching the shore, were harpooned and dragged to land.
The livid, yellow eels, like great water-snakes, swam after the
unfortunate horses which were attempting to make their way to the
opposite shore. But in a short time I observed that the animals
appeared less alarmed; they no longer erected their manes, while the