134 



BEES — SUMMIT OF THE SILLA. 



Contrasted 

 with Tene- 

 lirt'c. 



Eees. 



CHAP. XII horizon of the sea is six leagues farther distant tlian on 

 the Silla ; yet, wliile the boundary-line was seen dis- 

 tinct in the former place, it -was completely blended 

 with the air in the latter. The western dome concealed 

 the town of Caraccas ; but they distinguished tlie vil- 

 lages of Chacao and Petare, the cofFee-plantations, and 

 the course of tlie Rio Guayra. While they were 

 examining the part of tlie sea where the horizon was 

 well defined, and the great chain of mountains in the 

 distant south, & dense fog arose from tlie plains, and they 

 were obliged to use all expedition in completing their 

 observations. 



When seated on the rock, employed in determining 

 the dip of the needle, Ilumlwldt found liis hand covered 

 by a species of hairy bee, a little smaller than the honey- 

 bee of Europe. These insects make their nest in the 

 ground, seklom fly, move very slowly, and arc not apt 

 to use their sting, the guides asserting that they do so 

 only when seized by the legs. 



The temperature varied from 62° to 57°, according as 

 the weather was calm or otherwise. Tlie dip of the 

 needle was one centesimal degree less than at Caraccas. 

 The breeze was from the east, which might indicate 

 that the trade-winds extend in this latitude much higher 

 than 9000 feet. The blue of the atmosphere was 

 deeper than on the coasts, Saussure's cyanometer indi- 

 cating 2G'5°, while at Caraccas it generally gave only 

 18° in fine dry weather. The phenomenon that most 

 struck the travellers was the apparent aridity of the air, 

 which seemed to increase as the mist thickened, the hy- 

 grometer retrograding and their clothes remaining dry. 



As it would have been imprudent to remain long in 

 a dense fog, on tlie brink of a precipice, the travellers 

 descended tlie eastern dome, and, on regaining the 

 iiollow between the two summits, were surprised to 

 find round pebl)les of quartz, — a plienomcnon which per- 

 haps indicates tliat tlie mountain has been raised by a 

 power ajiplicd from below. Relinquishing their design 

 of passing the night in that valley, and having again 



Dip of tlie 



needle. 



Descent 

 from the 

 Euinmit. 



