Ch. VI. SOUTH AMERICA. 369 



The climate of Guarico is extremely hot, which 

 equally proceeds from the country being every where 

 mountainous, and from its proximity to the line; 

 fo that perfons who come there only occafionally, on 

 the leail excefs in diet or other c i re um fiances, fel- 

 dom efcape being attacked by diilempers, which in 

 three or four days carry them oif ; particularly great 

 numbers of the iliips' crews are fwept away after 

 extreme pains, the continual labour theie unhappy- 

 people are obliged to go through in unloading and 

 loading, taking in v/ater and other neceffiry fcr- 

 vices of the ihip, expofing them to all the violence 

 of fuch diilempers. The malignant fevers and dy- 

 fenterics are of the fame kind as thofe fo fatal at 

 Porto-bello : and a fufiicicnt account being given of 

 the temperature, the inconveniences accompanying 

 it, and of the produ6ls of countries fimilar to this, 

 I may here be excufed from dwelhng any farther on 

 thofe fubjeds. 



The cuftoms, genius, and manners of the people 

 here are no lefs difierent from the European French, 

 than thofe of the Spanifn Creoles in this part of 

 America are from the real Spaniards. Here arc 

 fome perfons of very great fortune, and all acquired 

 from the cultivadon and improvement of their lands : 

 and all live in eafe and happinefs, labouring under 

 very few inconveniences either natural or political} 

 and this is not the leail caufe of its daily increafe : 

 befides, the people fettled here are of ihemfclves labo- 

 rious, frugal, inventive, and continually exerting 

 themfelves in making new improvements; a turn of 

 mind pregnant with fo many advantages, that 1 wifb 

 it could raiie a fuitable imitation in the Spaniards, 

 that by labour and induftry they might attain that 

 profperity, they fee their neighbours the French have 

 done. 



The harbour, though open to the eaft and north 

 winds, is very fecure, being partly inclofed by a ridge 



Vol. IL B b ^ of 



