146 VALLEY OF THE TL'Y. 



CUAP. XIV. mica-slate, filled with garnets, and coiitainin;^ beds of 

 serpentine of a fine green, varied with spots of a lighter 

 tint. 



A'aiioy of Ascending from the low ground, thej passed by the 



the Tuy. favnis of Las La^unctas and Garavatos, near the latter 

 of which there is a mica-slate rock of a singular form, — 

 that of a ridge, or wall, crowned by a tower. The 

 countryismountainous, and almost entirely uninhabited ; 

 but beyond this they entered a fertile district, covered 

 with hamlets and small towns. Tliis beautiful region 

 is the valley of tiie Tuy, where they spent two days at 

 the plantation of Don Jose de Manterola, on the bank 

 of the river, the water of which was as clear as crystal. 

 Here they observed tliree species of sugar-cane, the old 

 Creole, the Otaheitan, and the Batavian, which are 

 easily distinguished, and of which the most valuable is 

 the Otaheitan, as it not only yields a third more of juice 

 than the Creole cane, but furnishes a anuch greater 

 quantity of fuel. 



As this valley, like most other parts of the Spanish 

 colonies, has its gold mine, Humboldt was desired to 

 visit it. In the ravine leading to it an enormous tree 

 fixed the attention of the travellers. It had grown on 

 a steep declivity above a house, which it was appre- 

 hended it might injure in its fiill, should the earth 

 happen to give way. It had tlierefore been burnt near 

 the root, and cut so as to sink between some large fig- 

 trees, which would prevent it from rolling down. It 

 was eight and a half feet in diameter at the lower end, 

 four feet five inches at tlie other (the top having been 

 burnt oif), and one hundred and sixty feet in length. 

 The rocks were mica-sl.ite passing into talc-slate, and 

 contained masses of bluisli granular limestone, together 



. with graphite. At the i)lace where the gold mine wa3 



quartz. said to have ])(.en, they found some vestiges of a vein of 



quartz ; Init tiie subsidence of the eartli, in consequence 

 of the rain, rendered it impossible to make any observa- 

 tion. The tiavellers, however, found a recompense for 

 their fatigues in tlic harvest of plants which they 



