So SE 
EE iE 
2 ES ST a 
1]2 NUMBER OF ABORIGINES. 
the ridge of the Cordilleras and the coast opposite to 
Asia, while the vast savannahs, and the great plains 
covered by forests and intersected by rivers, present- 
ed wandering tribes, separated by differences of lan- 
guage and manners. 
In New Andalusia, Cumana, and New Barcelona, 
the aborigines still form fully one-half of the scanty 
population. Their number may be about 60,000, 
of which 24,000 inhabit the first of these provinces. 
This amount appears large when we refer to the hunt- 
ing tribes of North America, but seems the reverse 
when we look to those districts of New Spain where 
agriculture has been followed for more than eight 
centuries. Thus, the intendaney of Oaxaca, which 
forms part of the old Mexican empire, and which 
is one-third smaller than the two provinces of Cu- 
mana and Barcelona, contains more than 400,000 
of the original race. The Indians of Cumana do 
not all live assembled in the missions, some being 
found dispersed in the neighbourhood of towns along 
the coasts. The stations of the Arragonese Capu- 
chins contain 15,000, almost all of the Chayma 
tribe. The villages, however, are less crowded than 
im the province of Barcelona, their indigenous popu- 
lation being only between five and six hundred ; 
whereas, more to the west, in the establishments 
of the Franciscans of Piritoo, there are towns of 
2000 or 3000 inhabitants. Besides the 60,000 na- 
tives of the provinces of Cumana and Barcelona, 
there are some thousands of Guaraounoes who have 
preserved their independence in the islands at the 
mouth of the Orinoco. Excepting a few families, 
there are no wild Indians in New Andalusia. 
The term wild or savage, Humboldt says he uses 
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