88 



CLIMATE OF CARIPE. 



Elevation of 

 the bite. 



ciiAP. viir. The height of this monastery above the sea is nearly 

 the same as that of Caraccas and the inhabited parts of 

 the Blue ]\Iountains of Jamaica. The thermometer was 

 between 60-8° and 63-5° at midnight, between 66-2° and 

 68° in the morning, and only G9*8° or 72'5° about one 

 o'clock. The mean temperature, inferred from that of 

 the month of September, appears to be 05-3°. This 

 degree of heat is sufficient to develop the productions of 

 the toi'rid zone, although much inferior to that of the 

 plains of Cumana. Water exposed in ve.ssels of porous 

 clay cools during the night as low as 55 4°. The mild 

 climate and rarified air of this place have been found 

 highly favourable to the cultivation of coffee, which was 

 introduced into the province by the prefect of the Capu- 

 chins, an active and enlightened man. In the garden of 

 the community were many culinary vegetables, maize, 

 the sugar-cane, and five thousand coffee-trees. 



The greatest curiosity in this beautiful and salubrious 

 district is a cavern inhabited by nocturnal birds, the fat 

 of which is em2)loyed in the missions for dressing food. 

 It is named the Cave of Guacharo, and is situated in a 

 valley three leagues distant from the convent. 



On the 18th of September our travellers, accompanied 

 by most of the monks and some of the Indians, set out 

 for this aviary, following for an hour and a half a narrow 

 path, leading across a fine plain covered with beautiful 

 turf; then, turning westward along a small river which 

 issues from the cave, they proceeded, during three 

 quarters of an hour, sometimes walking in the water, 

 sometimes on a slippery and miry soil between the tor- 

 rent and a wall of rocks, until they arrived at the foot of 

 the lofty mountain of Guacharo. Here the torrent ran 

 in a decj) ravine, and they went on under a projecting 

 cliff which prevented them from seeing the sky, until 

 at the last turning they came suddenly upon the 

 immense opening of the recess, which rs eighty-five feet 

 broad and seventy-seven feet high. The entrance is 

 toward tiie south, and is formed in the vertical face of a 

 rock, covered with trees of gigantic height, intermixed 



Cultivation 

 of coffee. 



Cave of 

 Uuacliaro. 



Natural 

 iiviary 



