30 STEPPES AND DESERTS. 



maskable, European wheat. The southern margin of this 

 valley adjoins the beautiful lake of Valencia, whose old 

 Indian name is Tacarigua. The contrast between its oppo- 

 site shores gives it a striking resemblance to the Lake of 

 Geneva. It is true that the bare mountains of Guigue and 

 Guiripa have less grandeur of character than the Savoy 

 Alps; but, on the other hand, the opposite bank of the 

 Tacarigua lake, which is thickly clothed with plantains, 

 mimosas, and triplaris, far surpasses in picturesque beauty 

 the vineyards of the Pays de Yaud. The lake is about 

 thirty geographical miles in length, and is full of small 

 islands, which, as the loss of water by evaporation exceeds 

 the influx, are increasing in size. Within some years sand- 

 banks have even become real islands, and have received 

 the significant name of the " Newly Appeared," Las Apa- 

 recidas. On the island of Cura the remarkable species of 

 Solanum is cultivated which has edible fruit, and winch 

 Wildenow has described in the Hortus Berolinensis (1816, 

 Tab. xxvii.) The height of the Lake of Tacarigua above 

 the sea is almost 1400 Trench feet, (according to my 

 measurement exactly 230 toises, or 1470 English feet,) less 

 than the mean height of the valley of Caraccas. The lake 

 has several kinds of fish (see my Observations de Zoologie 

 et d' Anatomic comparee, T. ii p. 179-181), and is one of 

 the most pleasing natural scenes which I know in any 

 part of the globe. In bathing, Bonpland and myself were 

 often alarmed by the appearance of the Bava, an undescribed 

 crocodile-like lizard, three or four feet in length, of repulsive 

 aspect, but harmless to men. We found in the lake a 



