BATHING IN THE RIVER. 71 
sible mountains, also of limestone. These ridges 
are covered by majestic forests, extending along the 
sloping ground at their base to an open plain in the 
neighbourhood of Cumana, through which the river 
Manzanares winds its way to the sea, fringed with 
mimosas, erythrinas, ceibas, and other trees of gi- 
gantic growth. 
This river, the temperature of which in the sea- 
son of the floods descends as low as 71°6°, when that 
of the air is as high as 91°, is an inestimable bene- 
fit to the inhabitants; all of whom, even the women 
of the most opulent families, learn to swim. ‘The 
mode of bathing is various. Our travellers frequent- 
ed every evening a very respectable society in the 
suburb of the Guayquerias. In the beautiful moon- 
light chairs were placed in the water, on which were 
seated the ladies and gentlemen, lightly clothed. 
The family and the strangers passed several hours 
in the river, smoking cigars and chatting on the 
usual subjects of conversation, such as the extreme 
drought, the abundance of rain in the neighbouring 
districts, and the female luxury which prevails in 
Caraccas and Havannah. ‘The company were not 
disturbed by the davas, or small crocodiles, which 
are only three or four feet long, and are now ex- 
tremely rare. Humboldt and his companions did 
not meet with any of them in the Manzanares ; 
but they saw plenty of dolphins, which some- 
times ascended the river at night, and fright- 
ened the bathers by spouting water from their 
nostrils. 
The port of Cumana is capable of receiving all 
the navies of Europe ; and the whole of the Gulf of 
Cariaco, which is forty-two miles long and from seven 
