14Sf COMMOTIONS OF THE EARXn 



CHAP. XIU. Felipe, and Merida, were almost entirely destroyed. 

 TowiiT" T!ie number of dead at La Guayra, and at the villa de 

 destiuyed. g^n Felipe, near the copper mines of Aroa, exceeded 

 four or five thousand. The earthquake vould appear 

 to have been most violent along a line running from 

 E. N. f}, to W. S. W., from Guayra and Caraccas to- 

 wards the high mountains of Niquitao and INIerida. It 

 was felt in the kingdom of New Grenada, from the 

 ramifications of the lofty Sierra of Santa IMartha to 

 Santa Fe de Bogota, and Honda on the banks of the 

 IMagdalena, 620 miles distant from Caraccas. In all 

 parts it was more violent in the cordilleras of gneiss and 

 mica-slate, or immediately at their base, than in the 

 plains. This difference was particularly remarkable in 

 the savannahs of Varinas and Casanare. In the valleys 

 of Aragua, situated between Caraccas and the town of 

 San Felipe, the shocks were very weak. La Victoria, 

 Maracay, and Valencia, scarcely suffered, notwithstand- 

 ing their proximity to the capital. At Valecillo, not 

 Sineniar many leagues distant from Valencia, the ground opened, 

 phenomena, jjnj emitted SO great a mass of water that a new torrent 

 was formed. The same phenomenon took place near 

 Porto Cabello. On the other hand, the Lake of Mara- 

 caybo underwent considerable diminution. At Coro no 

 commotion was felt, although the town was situated on 

 the coast between other towns which suffered. The 

 fishermen who had passed the day of the 2<)th ]\larch in 

 the island of Orchila, 103 miles N. E. of La Guayra, 

 were not sensible of any shock." 

 Valley of Toward the east of Caraccas the commotions were 



Capuya. very violent, especially beyond Caurimare, in the valley 

 of Capaya, and as far as the meridian of Cape Codera, 

 ■while they were very feeble on the coasts of New Barce- 

 lona, Cumana, and Paria, though these shores are known 

 to have been formerly shaken by volcanic vapours. 

 Successlre Fifteen or eighteen hours after the great catastrophe 



commotions. i]^q ground ceased to be agitated ; but subsequently to 

 the 27th the tremblings vccommenced, and were accom- 

 panied with very lo"d subterranean noises. Frequently 



