126 CITY OF CARACCAS. 



at 210,000 in a population of 900,000, and the Euro- 

 peans, not including troops, at 12,000 or 15,000. 



Caraccas was then the seat of an audiencia, or 

 high court of justice, and one of the eight arch- 

 bishoprics into which Spanish America was divided. 

 Its population in 1800 was about 40,000. In 1766 

 great devastation was made by the small-pox, from 

 6000 to 8000 individuals having perished ; but since 

 that period inoculation has become general. In 

 1812 the inhabitants amounted to 50,000, of which 

 12,000 were destroyed by the earthquakes ; while 

 the political events which succeeded that catas- 

 trophe reduced their number to less than twenty 

 thousand. 



The town is situated at the entrance of the valley 

 of Chacao, which is ten miles in length, eight and a 

 half miles in breadth, and about 2660 feet above the 

 level of the sea. The ground occupied by it is a 

 steep uneven slope. It was founded by Diego de 

 Losada in 1567. Three small rivers descending 

 from the mountains traverse the line of its direction ; 

 it contained eight churches, five convents, and a 

 theatre capable of holding 1500 or 1800 persons. 

 The streets were wide, and crossed each other at 

 right angles ; the houses spacious and lofty. 



The small extent of the valley, and the proximity 

 of the mountains of Avila and the Silla, give a stern 

 and gloomy character to the scenery, particularly in 

 November and December, when the vapours accu- 

 mulate towards evening along the high grounds ; in 

 June and July, however, the atmosphere is clear and 

 the air pure and delicious. The two rounded sum- 

 mits of the latter are seen from Caraccas, nearly 

 under the same angle of elevation as the Peak of 

 Teneriffe is observed from Orotava. The first half 

 of the ascent is covered with grass ; then succeeds 

 a zone of evergreen trees ; while above this the 

 rocky masses rise in the form of domes destitute of 

 vegetation. The cultivated region below forms an 



