VALLEYS OF ARAGOA. 149 



court contained cocoa-trees rising above the habitations. CHAP. XIV. 

 Besides wheat, sugar, cacao, cotton, and coffee, indigo is 

 cultivated to a great extent. 



In this district the travellers experienced the greatest Reception, 

 kindness, more especially from the persons with whom 

 they had associated in Caraccas, and who possessed large 

 estates in these highly improved and beautiful plains. 

 At the Hacienda de Cura they spent seven very agree- 

 able days, in a small habitation surrounded by thickets, 

 on the lake of Valencia. Their host, Count Tovar, had 

 begun to let out lands to poor persons, with the view of 

 rendering slaves less necessary to the landholders ; and 

 his example was happily followed by other proprietors. 

 Here they lived after the manner of the rich ; they 

 bathed twice, slept three times, and made three meals 

 in twenty-four hours. 



The vallej'S of Aragua form a narrow basin between Geological 

 granitic and calcareous mountains of unequal height, feature. 

 On the north they are separated from the coast by the 

 Sierra Mariara, and on the south from the steppes by 

 the chain of Guacimo and Yusnia. On the east and 

 west the}^ are bounded by hills of smaller elevation, the 

 rivers from which unite their streams, and are collected 

 in an inland lake which has no communication with the 

 sea. This body of water, named the lake of Valencia, j^^ifg ^f 

 and by the Indians called Tacarigua, is larger than the Valencia. 

 Lake of Neufchatel, but in its general form has more 

 resemblance to that of Geneva. The southern banks are 

 desert, and backed by a screen of high mountains, while 

 the northern shores are decked with the rich cultiva- 

 tion of the sugar-cane, cofFee-tree, and cotton. " Paths 

 bordered with cestrum, azcdarach, and other shrubs 

 always in flower, traverse the plain and join the scat- 

 tered farms. Every house is surrounded by a tuft of trees. 

 The ceiba, with large yellow flowers, gives a peculiar 

 character to the landscape, as it unites its branches w'itli 

 those of the purple erythrina. The mixture and bril- 

 liancy of the vegetable colours form a contrast to the 

 unvaried tint of a cloudless sky. In the dry season. 



