54 



ISLAND OF COCHE. 



gardens of Schonbrunn and Vienna. This resolution 

 had a happy influence upon the direction of their 

 journey, as will subsequently be seen, and perhaps 

 was the occasion of securing for them the health 

 which they enjoyed during a long residence in the 

 equinoctial regions. They were by this means for- 

 tunate enough to pass the time when a European 

 recently landed runs the greatest danger of being 

 affected by the yellow fever, in the hot but very dry 

 climate of Cumana, a city celebrated for its salubrity. 



As the coast of Paria stretches to the west, in the 

 form of perpendicular cliffs of no great height, they 

 were long without perceiving the bold shores of the 

 island of St. Margaret, where they intended to stop 

 for the purpose of obtaining information respecting 

 the English cruisers. Towards eleven in the morn- 

 ing of the 15th, they observed a very low islet cov- 

 ered with sand, and destitute of any trace of culture 

 or habitation. Cactuses rose here and there from a 

 scanty soil, which seemed to have an undulating mo- 

 tion, in consequence of the extraordinary refraction 

 the solar rays undergo in passing through the stra- 

 tum of air in contact with a strongly-heated surface. 

 The deserts and sandy shores of all countries pre- 

 sent this appearance. The aspect of this place not 

 corresponding with the ideas which they had formed 

 of the island of Margaretta, and the greatest per- 

 plexity existing as to their position and course, they 

 cast anchor in shallow water, and were visited by 

 some Guayquerias in two canoes, constructed each 

 of the single trunk of a tree. These Indians, who 

 were of a coppery colour, and very tall, informed 

 them that they had kept too far south, that the low 

 islet near which they were at anchor was the island 

 of Coche, and that Spanish vessels coming from Eu- 

 rope usually passed to the northward of it. The 

 master of one of the canoes offered to remain on 

 board as coasting pilot, and towards evening the 

 captain set sail. 



