JO 



PENINSULA OF ARAYA. 



Landing. 



Salt woi'ks 



CHAP \i. cates the same temperature, the inhabitants make bitter 

 complaints. 



About eight in tlie morning they landed at the point 

 of Araya, near the new salt-works, which are situated 

 in a plain destitute of vegetation. From this spot are 

 seen tlie islet of Cubagua, the lofty hills of JMargarita, 

 the ruins of the catitle of St Jago, the Cerro de la Vela, 

 and the limestone ridge of the Bergantin, bounding the 

 horizon toward the south. Here salt is procured by 

 digging brine-pits in the clayey soil, which is impreg- 

 nated with muriate of soda. In 1799 and 1800, the 

 consumption of this article in the provinces of Cumana 

 and Barcelona amounted to 9000 or 10,000 fanegas, each 

 16 arrobas, or 405| 11)S. avoirdupois. Of this quantity 

 the salt-works of Araya yield only about a third part ; 

 the rest being obtained from sea- water in the IMorro ot 

 Barcelona, at Pozuelos, at Piritu, and in the Golfo 

 Triste. 



In order to understand the geological relations of this 

 saliferous clay, it is necessary to follow our author in his 

 exposition of the nature of the neighbouring country. 

 Three great parallel chains of mountains extend from 

 east to west. The two most noitherly, which are 

 primitive, constitute the Cordilleras of the island of 

 Margarita, as well as of Araya. The most southerly, the 

 Cordillera of Bergantin and Cocollar, is secondary, 

 although more elevated than the others. The two 

 former have been separated by the sea, and the islets of 

 Coche and Cubagua are supposed to be remnants of the 

 submersed land. The Gulf of Cariaco divides the chains 

 of Araya and Cocollar, which are connected, to the east 

 of the town of Cariaco, between the lakes of Campoma 

 and PutiUjuao, by a kind of dike. This barrier, which 

 has the name of Cerro de Meapire, prevented, in remote 

 times, the waters of the Gulf of Cariaco from uniting 

 with those of the Gulf of Paria. 



The western slope of the peninsula of Araya, and the 

 jdains on which rises the castle of St Anthony, are 

 covered with recent deposites of sandstone, clay, and 



frooloffical 

 relations of 

 saliferous 

 c'.ay. 



Recent 

 deiiObltca. 



