NATIVE ALUM. 



CHAP. XX. 



Oia salt-pit. 



Search for 

 tlic aU'.m 

 works. 



Departnre 



from 



Cumana. 



Cape Caney they inspected the old salt-pit, now con- 

 verted into a lake by an irruption of the sea ; the ruins 

 of the castle of Araya ; and the limestone-mountain of 

 Barigon, which contained fossil-shells in perfect preser- 

 vation. When they visited that peninsula the preceding 

 year, there was a dreadful scarcity of water. But 

 during their absence on the Orinoco it had rained 

 ahundantly on various parts along the coast ; and the 

 remembrance of these showers occupied the imagination 

 of the natives as a fall of meteoric stones would engage 

 that of the naturalists of Europe. 



Their Indian guide was ignorant of the situation of 

 the alum, and they wandered lor eight or nine hours 

 among the rocks, which consisted of mica-slate passing 

 into clay-slate, traversed by veins of quartz, and con- 

 taining small beds of graphite. At length, descending 

 toward the northern coast of tlie peninsula, they found 

 the substance for which they were searching, in a 

 ravine of very difficult access. Here the mica-slate 

 suddenly changed into carburetted and shining clay- 

 slate, and the springs were impregnated with yellow 

 oxide of iron. The sides of the neighbouring cliffs were 

 covered with capillary crystals of sulphate of alumina, 

 and real beds, two inclies thick, of native alum, extended 

 in the clay-slate as far as the eye could reach. Tlie 

 formation appeared to be primitive, as it contained 

 c^'anite, rutile, and garnets. 



Returning to Cumana, they made preparations for 

 their departure, and availing themselves of an American 

 vessel, laden at New Barcelona for Cuba, they set out 

 on the I6th November, and crossed for tlie third time 

 tlic Gulf of Cariaco. The night was cool and delicious, 

 and it was not witliout emotion that they saw for the 

 last time tiic disk of the moon illuminating the summits 

 of the cocoa-trees along t\i<i banks of the Manzanares. 

 Tlie lireeze was strong, and in less than six hours they 

 ancliored near tlie Morro of New Barcelona. 



The continental part of the New World is divided 

 between three nations of European origin, of which one, 



