VENEZUELA. 



VENEZUELA. 



Hi 



of UM riw Nevori, 6863 tot Other high nimmiu 



j UM upper oourae of that riTr and the sea, among 



_ tlM Cam Pioni. riees to 80 feat and UM Amsnpuja to 6820 

 feet above, UM MB. The table Und* which lie between the summits and 



' and covered with 

 I are orer- 



ISjeS aOOVe UM * * OW MMHWi WMII.U iv wv*< 



ridns are generally from SOOO to 4000 feet high, and cove; 

 mat, while UM acclivities of tha .unimiu and the valleys i 



grown with high trees. In the fertile valleys of this rang* wheat, 

 Babe, awl all tropical root* and vegetable* are cultivated, and l*o 

 TfT - OO0M, aogar, cotton, and tobacco. 



Sooth of UM mountain region* hitherto mentioned lie the Llano*, or 

 Cattle-PUliM, which extend from the banki of the Rio Orinoco to the 

 feet of UM ridge*, generally without the intervention of a hilly tract, 

 and between the extern extremity of the coast-range and the western 

 extremity of UM Bergantin they reach to the horei of the Caribbean 

 Bra. Westward they extend to the bae of the Andee, along which 

 they ran aoathward to the Rio MeU, by which they are Mparated 

 from the Wooded Plain*. Thia region, according to the itatement of 

 Codaoi, covers a surface of 118,698 English aquare miles. Though 

 one inuneoae pUin, thia tract praeenU a great variety in elevation, 

 ^IW..^ riven, and productive powers. Borne tract* are hardly ele- 

 vated above the sea, whilst others rise to nearly 1SOO feet : some are 

 arid deserts, while the vegetation of others is extremely vigorous 

 nearly all through the year. The whole however is characterised by 

 a want of forests. The trees which are found stand singly or form 

 groves of small extent, with the exception of the delta of the Orinoco. 



Beginning on the east we find, first, the Delta of the Orinoco, which 

 eooaiata of a deep alluvial soil, formed by the deposit of the earthy 

 natter brought down during the inundations, which hut from April 

 to August. Except on the banks of the branches of the rivers which 

 tnntrse it, the whole is a swamp covered with trees. In the forests 

 the mauritia-palms are numerous ; and from the means of subsistence 

 which these trees offer, the few inhabitants of this tract, the Warrows 

 (Quarannoe) derive their maintenance. During the rains they live on 

 scaffolds which are erected between the trunks of the high trees, 

 aeveral feet above the water a circumstance which haa given rise to 

 UM opinion that this tribe lives in trees. The low swampy tract 

 extends beyond the Delta westward along the southern shores of the 

 Gulf of Pan*, nearly to the innermost western recess of that basin. 

 From thia low tract the country rises slowly to the west, until at the 

 ce of about 60 or 60 miles it reaches the table-lands. This 

 i is a prairie, destitute of trees and shrubs, except that in many 

 groves of mauritia-palms occur, where water is always found. 

 It is traversed by numerous rivers, which during the rains inundate 

 UM adjacent low grounds ; and hence it forms an excellent pasture- 

 ground during the dry season, when the table-lands do not contain a 

 bUde of grass. 



The table-land*, called in the country Mesas, constitute a peculiar 

 and well marked feature in thia part of Venezuela. They begin on the 

 east, at the southern base of the mountain-system of the Bergantin, 

 attain their highest elevation in the Mesa de Unco, whose surface is 

 1300 feet above the sea-level, and continue westward to the river 

 Uritoeo, where they join the southern ridge of the coast-range. Their 

 surface is quite level, and the soil consists chiefly of saud, which in 

 many places is mixed with chalk. This soil in unproductive, and the 

 vegetation even in the rainy season is limited to a few hardy grasses 

 covered with a kind of hair, which afford indifferent pasture. The 

 rains, which fall in nbundanoe from April to July, quickly find their 

 way through the upper layers of the soil, until they meet an argilla- 

 ceous chalk, where they collect and form springe and rivulets, and 

 give origin to a hundred rivers, which run south to the Orinoco, east 

 to UM Qnlf of Paria, and north to the Caribbean Sea. The rivers 

 running southward are deep, and have always a great volume of water ; 

 bat those which run to the north soon leave the table-lands and enter 

 an arid and much lower plain, where their waters are soon exhausted. 

 Uctwern UM table-land and the Caribbean Sea a level plain extends 

 boot 60 miles from north to south ; it has a sandy soil, and is chiefly 

 covered with grass, but then occur many tracts covered with oaks 

 and some palms. A kind of lily spreads over extensive tracts, and it 

 is supposed that all the parts covered with this plant were formerly 

 cultivated by the Indians. At present it is only used ss pasture for 

 cattle, except near the coast where a few tracts are planted with 

 cottoo, cacao, coffee, sugar, tobacco, and several tropical roots and 

 fruit*. 



The most uneven portion of the cattle-plains is that which extends 

 co UM south side of the coast-range, and lies west of the river Orituco, 

 reaching to UM banks of the 1'ortuguesa ; but south of this tract the 

 country continues to be uneven, as there are aeveral small Mesas ; 

 while on iu southern edge are aeveral isolated hills, which are sur- 

 rounded by extensive plains covered with fine grass. 



South-west of the uneven tract just mentioned are the Plains of 

 Barinas (Varinai). which an considered the moat fertile part of the 

 neat plain, and the best adapted for cultivation. These plains extend 

 along the base of the Andea from the Rio Portuguesa to the Rio Sarare 

 and Apure, a distance of more than 160 miles, and are from 60 to 80 

 mils wide. The mountains terminate abruptly on the plain. From 

 their base a very gentle slope descends in a south-eastern direction 

 toward* the banks of the rivers Portugueaa and Apure, This slope is 

 furrowed by numerous largo rivers, which descend from the mountains 



and drain the plain, running nearly parallel to one another. They are 

 navigable nearly to the base of the mountains, but during the rains 

 they inundate a considerable portion of the plain, the higher tracts 

 along the river banks being the only parts not subject to inundation. 

 These high banks are also the only parts of the plain which are covered 

 with woods, and which contain tracts fit for cultivation. Numerous 

 hamlets and single farm-houses an built on these higher grounds, 

 when maiie, yucca, and plantains are extensively grown : the lower 

 parts, which are subject to inundation, serve as pasture-grounds 

 during the dry season. 



Between the Rio Apure and the Rio Mela, both affluents of the 

 Orinoco from the west, are the Plains or Llanos of Apure. They 

 contain the lowest portion of the Cattle- Plains. This tract ia so level, 

 that the current of the Apure and Meta ia imperceptible, and a strong 

 eastern gale, or the least rise iu the Orinoco, causes their waters to flow 

 back. No rock, no stone, not even a pebble is seen in these plains. 

 The soil consists of a mixture of sand and chalk. It is covered with 

 grass, but is entirely destitute of trees and bushes, except a few scattered 

 groves. The only inequalities of the surface are some hills, mainly of 

 sand, which rise a few yards above the common level, and some slightly 

 elevated grounds called banks. In the dry season this plain is ono 

 immense pasture-ground; but during the rains from April to July or 

 August it becomes an immense lake, in which the banks appear like 

 islands. 



South of the Rio Meta begins a Woody Region, which extends south- 

 ward to the limits of Brazil, and may be considered as the northern 

 portion of that immense forest, or series of forests, which occupies 

 South America on both sides of the equator. In their present state 

 these forests can only be entered by means of the rivers which, des- 

 cending from the Eastern Andes of New Granada, traverse them in 

 their course to the Orinoco. In the southern districts of this region 

 ia the Rio Casiquiare, or that branch of the Orinoco which separates 

 from the river soon after it issues from the mountains, and running 

 south by west joins the Rio Negro, or Quainia, an affluent of the 

 AMAZONAS. 



That portion of Venezuela which lies east of the Rio Orinoco and 

 north of the Pacaroima ridge is mostly occupied by the Parime Moun- 

 tains and their offsets. [ORINOCO.] The greater part of this immense 

 tract, which comprehends more than one-third of the territories of the 

 republic, is entirely unknown, as the interior has been traversed only 

 by a few adventurers, who followed the course of the largo rivers iu 

 search of the famous El Dorado. They found nearly the whole covered 

 with an interminable forest of tall trees, amidst which rocky masses 

 frequently rose in fantastic forms. A few tribes of aborigines in- 

 habited the banks of the rivers, and lived mostly on the produce of 

 their fisheries and n few wild fruits. The country adjacent to the 

 banks of the Orinoco River however was more populous, and in these 

 places the Capuchin monks established some missions. Though in 

 some places the ridges of the Parime Mountains approach the river, 

 in general they remain at a considerable distance from its banks : ana 

 this intermediate space is generally an uneven plain, on which a con- 

 siderable number of wooded rocks rise to a moderate elevation. Below 

 the rapids of Atures both sides of the river, with the exception of a few 

 places, are skirted by a low ground which is annually inundated. It 

 varies from half a mile to three miles in width. The district of Upata, 

 which lies south of the delta of the Orinoco, and extends from tho 

 river Caroni on the west to tho Sierra Imataco, the most maritime 

 ridge of the Parime Mountains on the east, is the only part which is 

 occupied, except by two or three scattered families. It is a table- 

 land, whose surface is 1400 feet above the sea-level, and whose northern 

 declivity approaches the Orinoco within a few miles. The surface of 

 this table-land is very uneven, and presents a quick succession of 

 small grassy savannas, well-wooded isolated rocks and hills, and delight- 

 ful valleys. The fertility of this tract in many parts is said to be 

 hardly inferior to that of the Vales of Aragua, while its climate is 

 less hot and dry than that of other parts of the republic. This tract 

 is no less fit for rearing cattle than for cultivation. Coffee, cacao, 

 cotton, sugar, indigo, and all the roots and fruits which grow between 

 the tropics are cultivated. The cascarilla is collected in great 

 quantities. 



Venezuela is well watered, with the exception of the Mesas and 

 that tract of the coast which extends from the town of Cumorebo 

 westward to the Gulf of Venezuela. The number of rivers ia very 

 great, and that of the navigable rivers considerable. Most of them 

 join the Orinoco, which runs about 1300 miles, and is navigable for 

 the greater part of its course. This river, with its principal tribu- 

 taries, is noticed elsewhere. [ORINOCO, vol. iv., col. 13.] Of the rivers 

 joining it from the west, the Inirida flows 424 miles : the Guaviaro 

 flows more than 800 miles ; and the Mota flows an equal distance, 

 and all of them ore navigable for a large part of their course. Farther 

 north the Orinoco is joined by the APURE, which is more navigated 

 than the other rivers of the republic. The rivers which fall into the 

 Orinoco from the east descend from the Parime Mountains, and 

 preserve the characteristic of all the rivers originating iu that mountain, 

 system, being impeded in their course by cataracts and rapids. The 

 largest are the Cauro, and the Caroni, each of which flows for about 

 600 miles. The navigation of these two rivers is interrupted at 

 fovcral places by cataract*, 



