GULF OF CARIACO. 95 



from nineteen to twenty-five feet for an extent of seven- chap, vm 



teen miles, and there is a sandbank, which at low water — 



resembles a small island. They crossed the part where the sea. 



the hot springs rush from the bottom of the ocean ; but 



it being high water the change of temperature was not 



very perceptible. The contrary winds continuing, they 



were forced to land at Pericantral, a small farm on tiie 



south side of the gulf. The coast, although covered by 



a beautiful vegetation, was almost destitute of human 



labour, and scarcely possessed seven hundred inhabitants. 



The cocoa-tree is the principal object of cultivation, p^^^,^ ^^^ 



This palm thrives best in the neighbourhood of the sea, 



and like the sugar-cane, the plantain, the mammee-apple, 



and the alligator-pear, may be watered either with fresh 



or salt water. In other parts of America it is generally 



nourished around farm-houses ; but along the Gulf of 



Cariaco it forms real plantations ; and at Cumana they 



talk of a hacienda de coco, as they do of a hacienda de 



canna, or de cacao. In moist and fertile ground it begins 



to bear abundantly the fourth year ; but in dry soils it 



does not produce fruit until the tenth. Its duration 



does not generally exceed eighty or a hundred years ; at 



which period its mean height is about eighty feet. 



Throughout this coast a cocoa-tree supplies annually 



about a hundred nuts, which yield eight fiascos of oil. 



The fiasco is sold for about sixteenpence. . A great 



quantity is made at Cumana, and Humboldt frequently 



witnessed the arrival thei-e of canoes containing 3000 



nuts. The oil, which is clear and destitute of smell, is 



well adapted for burning. 



After sunset they left the farm of Pericantral, and at .Arontu of the 

 three in the morning reached the mouth of the Manza- Manzauarts. 

 nares, after passing a very indifferent night in a narrow 

 and deeply laden canoe. Having been for several weeks 

 accustomed to mountain-scenery, gloomy forests, and 

 rainy weather, they were struck by the bareness of the 

 soil, the clearness of the sky, and the mass of reflected 

 light by which the neighbourhood of Cumana is charac- 

 terized. At sunrise they saw the zamuro vultures 



