66 



CUMAXA. 



14th December the great concussion took place at 

 Cumana. 



It has long been remarked that earthquakes ex- 

 tend their effects to much greater distances than 

 volcanoes ; and it is probable, as has just been men- 

 tioned, that the causes which produce the former 

 have an intimate comiexion with the latter. When 

 seated within the verge of a burning crater, one feels 

 the motion of the ground several seconds before 

 each partial eruption. The phenomena of earth- 

 quakes seem strongly to indicate the action of elastic 

 fluids endeavouring to force their way into the at- 

 mosphere. On the shores of the South Sea the 

 concussion is almost instantaneously communicated 

 from Chili to the Gulf of Guayaquil, over a space 

 of 2070 miles. The shocks also appear to be so 

 much the stronger the more distant the country is 

 from active volcanoes ; and a province is more 

 agitated the smaller the number of funnels by which 

 the subterranean cavities communicate with the 

 open air. 



CHAPTER VI. 



Residence at Cumana. 



Lunar Halo— African Slaves— Excursion to the Peninsula of Araya— 

 Geological Constitution of the Country — SaJt-worksof Araya— Indians 

 and Mulattos — Pearl-fisher}- — Maniquarez — Mexican Deer— Spring 

 of Naphtha. 



The occupations of our travellers were much dis- 

 turbed during the first weeks of their abode at Cu- 

 mana by the intrusion of persons desirous of ex- 

 amining their astronomical and other instruments. 

 They however determined the latitude of the great 

 square to be 10° 27' 52",- and its longitude 66° 30' 2". 



