LAKE OF VALENCIA. 175 
miles, and the breadth four or five. The tempera- 
ture at the surface, in February, was from 73°4° to 
747°, which was a little lower than the mean tem- 
perature of the air. 
The Lake of Valencia is covered with beautiful 
islands to the number of fifteen, some of which are 
cultivated. It is well stocked with fish, although 
it furnishes only three kinds, which are soft and 
insipid. A small crocodile, the bava, which gene- 
rally attains the length of three or four feet, is 
very common; but it is remarkable that neither 
the lake nor any of the rivers which flow into it, 
have any large alligators, though these animals 
abound a few leagues off, in the streams that unite 
with the Apure and Orinoco, or pass directly into 
the Caribbean Sea. The islands are of gneiss, like 
the surrounding country. Of the plants which they 
produce, many have been believed to be peculiar 
to the district, such as the papaws of the lake, and 
the tomatoes of the island of Cura. The aquatic 
vegetation along the shores reminded the travellers 
of the lakes of Europe, although the species of po- 
tamogeton, chara, and equisetum, were peculiar to 
the New Continent. 
Some of the rivers that flow into this fine sheet of 
water owe their origin to hot springs, of which, how- 
ever, the travellers were able to examine only those 
of Mariara and Las Trincheras. In going up the 
Cura toward its source, the mountains of Mariara 
are seen advancing into the plain, in the form of 
an amphitheatre composed of steep rocks, crown- 
ed by serrated peaks. The central point is named 
Rincon del Diablo. These masses are composed of a 
coarse-grained granite, and are partially covered 
