in Colombia bettsieen the Years 1820 and 1830. 11 



trayecl by Humboldt with an accuracy which renders further 

 description superfluous. It is, however, impossible to traverse 

 this extensive territory without being struck by the physical 

 phjEUomena of a country where height produces the ejfFect of 

 latitude, and where the changes of climate, with all the con- 

 sequent revolutions of animal and vegetable life, are brought 

 about by localities to which we find little analogy in Europe. 

 The equatorial seasons, as is well known, are merely the wet 

 and dry; and though the Spaniards, influenced by European 

 recollections, have given the former the name of winter i7ivi- 

 enio, it is during this period that nature revives i'rom the vege- 

 tative torpor which the scorching tropical heats produce in the 

 low-lands in almost an equal degree with the frosts of northern 

 climates. In the vast plains which extend to the south and 

 east of the great chain of the Andes the rainy season observes 

 an invariable order. The Orinoco begins to rise in April, and 

 attains its maximum of increase in July and August, when the 

 immense savanas which extend to the base of the Andes 

 are converted into the appearance of an inland ocean. It de- 

 creases from this period, and the summer is reckoned from 

 October to April. In the mountains, on the contrary, the 

 rains commence about the former month, and predominate, 

 with intervals of fair weather, till May or June. The winter 

 of the low lands, to the west and north of the Cordillera, both 

 on the Pacific and Atlantic coasts, is governed by that of the 

 mountains, but with several curious localities. Thus, the 

 rainy season of Guayaquil is nearly as regular as that of the 

 plains, being reckoned from the middle of December to the 

 middle of May ; while the thick forests, which further to the 

 north cover the provinces of Esmeraldas, Barbacoas, and 

 Choco, produce, by their constant evaporation, an almost per- 

 petual deluge. Wherever, on the contrary, the Cordillera 

 recedes to some distance from the coast, as is the case with 

 parts of the Venezuelan chain, the intermediate country is 

 parched by a drought often of several years. Maracaybo, and 

 a considerable part of the province* of Coro, are instances 

 where sandy plains, scantily shaded by Mimosas and thick 

 plants, aflbrd shelter and subsistence only to flocks of o'oats 

 and asses. The coast of Rio Hacha is equally dry and ste- 

 rile, till it apjjroaches the foot of the isolated ridge of Santa 

 Marta; while the Goagira territory, situated betwixt Rio 

 Hacha.aud Maracaybo, is regularly inundated every year, 

 and conseciucntly, though destitute of streams, maintains con- 

 siderable herds of cattle and horses; a circumstance to be 

 ascril)ed to the vicinity of die Ocana branch of the Andes, 

 wliich extends, witli its clouds and thick forests, almost to 



