148 THE ISLAND OF ORCUILA. 



be augmented by tlieir presence, especially between 28* 

 and 30 of nortli latitude, which indicates an origin of some 

 sort of animal nature. 



On the 27th, we slowly approached the island of Orchila. 

 Like all the small islands in the vicinity of the fertile coast 

 of the continent, it has never been inhabited. I found the 

 latitude of the northern cape, 11 51' 44* and the longitude 

 of the eastern cape, 68 26' 5" (supposing Nueva Barcelona 

 to be 67 4' 48"). Opposite the western cape there is a 

 small rock against which the waves beat turbulently. Some 

 angles taken with the sextant, gave, for the length of the 

 island from east to west, 84 miles (950 toises) ; and for the 

 breadth scarcely three miles. The island of Orchila, which, 

 from its name,' I figured to myself as a bare rock covered 

 with lichens, was at that period beautifully verdant. The 

 hills of gneiss were covered with grasses. It appears that 

 the geological constitution of Orchila resembles, on a small 

 scale, that of Marguerita. It consists of two groups oi 

 rocks joined by a neck of land ; it is an isthmus covered 

 with sand, which seems to have issued from the floods by 

 the successive lowering of the level of the sea. The rocks, 

 like all those which are perpendicular and insulated in the 

 middle of the sea, appear much more elevated than they 

 really are, for they scarcely exceed from 80 to 90 toises. 

 The Punta rasa stretches to the north-west, and is lost, 

 like a sandbank, below the waters. It is dangerous for 

 navigators, and so is likewise the Mogote, which, at the 

 distance of two miles from the western cape, is surrounded 

 by breakers. On a very near examination of these rocks, 

 we saw the strata of gneiss inclined towards the north- 

 west, and crossed by thick layers of quartz. The destuction 

 of these layers has doubtless created the sands of the 

 surrounding beach. Some clumps of trees shade the valleys, 

 the summits of the hills are crowned with fan-leaved palm- 

 trees ; probably the palma de sombrero of the Llanos 

 (Corypha tectorum). Bain is not abundant in these coun- 

 tries ; but probably some springs might be found on the 

 island of Orchila, if sought for with the same care as in 

 the mica-slate rocks of Punta Araya. When we recollect 

 how many bare and rocky islands are inhabited and culti- 

 between the 17th and 26th degrees of latitude in the 



