BATHING IN THE RIVER. G3 



gentlemen, lightly clothed. The family and the stran- CHAp. v. 

 gers passed several hours in the river, smoking cigars Native 

 and chatting on the usual subjects of conversation, such pas'imes. 

 as tlie extreme drought, tlie abundance of rain in the 

 neighbouring districts, and the female luxuiy which 

 prevails in Caraccas and Ilavannah. The company 

 were not disturbed by the bavas, or small crocodiles, 

 which are only three or four feet long, and are now 

 extremely rare. Humboldt and his companions did not 

 meet with any of them in the Manzanares ; but they 

 saw plenty of dolphins, which sometimes ascended the 

 river at night, and frightened the bathers by spouting 

 water from their nostrils. 



The port of Cumana is capable of receiving all the Tort of 

 navies of Europe ; and the whole of the Gulf of Cariaco, 

 which is forty-two miles long and from seven to nine 

 miles broad, affords excellent anchorage. The hurricanes 

 of the West Indies are never experienced on these coasts, 

 where the sea is constantly smooth, or only slightly 

 agitated by an easterly wind. The sky is often bright 

 along the shores, while stormy clouds are seen to gather 

 among the mountains. Thus, as at the foot of the 

 Andes, on the western side of the continent, the extremes 

 of clear weather and fogs, of di-ought and heavy rain, of 

 absolute nakedness and perpetual verdure, present them- 

 selves on the coasts of New Andalusia. 



The same analogy exists as to earthquakes, which are Frequency of 

 irequent and violent at Cumana. It is a generally- 

 received opinion that the Gulf of Cariaco owed its 

 existence to a rent of the continent, the remembrance 

 of which was fresh in the minds of the natives at the 

 time of Columbus' third voyage. In 1530, the coasts 

 of Paria and Cumana were agitated by shocks ; and 

 towards the end of the sixteenth century, earthquakes 

 and inundations very often occurred. On the 21st 

 October 17C6, the city of Cumana was entirely destroyed 

 in the space of a few minutes. Tlie earth opened in 

 several parts of the province, and emitted sulphureous 

 waters. During the years 1766 and 1767, the inhabi- 



