8 Meteorological Observations made in 
the dry season at 88°-4, we have a yearly mean of 849-7, which 
is probably the extreme, or something beyond it. There is no 
doubt it is in the plains of the interior we find the greatest heat. 
during the dry season. In the level country, called the valley of 
Upar, betwixt the mountain ridges of Santa Marta and Ocana, I 
found the thermometer in the shade several times above 100°, and 
once as high as 108°. The average of nineteen observations 
made at different points of this district is 89°-9; but we must 
allow a considerable decrease during the months when the soil is 
covered with thick vegetation, and dienched by continual rains. 
As a general mean of the interior, at small elevations, we may 
take 80°°67, or nearly that of Cumana. 
3. The temperate mountain region lies nearly betwixt the ele- 
vations of 3,000 and 7,000 feet. Below this may be considered 
as a hot climate, such, for instance, as Valencia and the valleys of 
Aragua in Venezuela, the height of which is from 1,500 to 2,000 
feet, and its mean temperature 78°, or 0°-24 above that of Guay- 
aquil on the Pacific ; but the soil, stripped by cultivation of its 
ancient forests, imbibes freely the solar rays, which are besides 
reflected from the rocky elevations which every where surround 
the cultivated districts. The temperature of Caraccas (elevation 
2904 feet) was fixed by Humboldt in his Essay De Distributioné 
Geographica Plantarum, p. 98, at 69°-6; but in his Personal 
Narrative, b. iv, c. xii, p. 460, he considers 17°-2 of Reaumur = 
70°.40 of Fahrenheit, nearly as the true yearly mean. My owa 
observations during~a residence of some months give 71°40: 
The preference would be certainly due to Humboldt’s calcula 
tion, but for some collateral circumstances deserving attention 
I heard it generally remarked in the city, that the seasons bh 
grown hotter since the earthquake of 1812. It would be difficult 
to explain how the temporary evolution of volcanic gases, SUP 
posing such to have taken place, could operate any perm 
change on the surrounding atmosphere; yet other causes may 
have produced an effect falsely ascribed to the phenomenon most 
impressed on the imagination of the inhabitants. On looking 
over Hamboldt’s collection of observations for December até 
January, 1799, we find the thermometer seldom rise to 75°, and 
often sink to 59°; so that the mean of these months is about 68° 
During the same months in 1821, the daily range was from 
to 76°. I never observed it lower than 619-5, and on one 0ce® 
