72 EARTHQUAKES. 
to nine miles broad, affords excellent anchorage. 
The hurricanes of the West Indies are never expe- 
rienced on these coasts, where the sea is constantly 
smooth, or only slightly agitated by an easterly wind. 
The sky is often bright along the shores, while stormy 
clouds are seen to gather among the mountains. 
Thus, as at the foot of the Andes, on the western 
side of the continent, the extremes of clear weather 
and fogs, of drought and heavy rain, of absolute 
nakedness and perpetual verdure, present them- 
selves on the coasts of New Andalusia. 
The same analogy exists as to earthquakes, which 
are frequent and violent at Cumana. It is a gene- 
rally-received opinion that the Gulf of Cariaco owed 
its existence to a rent of the continent, the remem- 
brance of which was fresh in the minds of the na- 
tives at the time of Columbus’ third voyage. In 
1530, the coasts of Paria and Cumana were agitated 
by shocks; and towards the end of the sixteenth 
century, earthquakes and inundations very often 
occurred. On the 21st October 1766, the city of 
Cumana was entirely destroyed in the space of a 
few minutes. The earth opened in several parts 
of the province, and emitted sulphureous waters. 
During the years 1766 and 1767, the inhabitants 
encamped in the streets, and they did not begin 
to rebuild their houses until the earthquakes took 
place only once in four weeks. These commotions 
had been preceded by a drought of fifteen months, 
and were accompanied and followed by torrents of 
rain which swelled the rivers. 
On the 14th December 1797, more than four- 
fifths of the city were again entirely destroyed. 
Previous to this, the shocks had been horizontal 
