If" ' w 



CAVE OF GXTACHARO. 87 



inhabited parts of the Blue Mountains of Jamaica. 

 The thermometer was between 60*8° and 63° at mid- 

 night, between 66*2° and 68° in the morning, and 

 only 69 '8° or 72*5° about one o'clock. The mean 

 temperature, inferred from that of the month of Sep- 

 tember, appears to be 65*3°. This degree of heat 

 is, sufficient to develop the productions of the torrid 

 zone, although much inferior to that of the plains 

 of Cumana. Water exposed in vessels of porous 

 clay cools during the night as low as 55*4°. The 

 mild climate and rarefied air of this place have been 

 found highly favourable to the cultivation of coffee, 

 which was introduced into the province by the pre- 

 fect of the Capuchins, an active and enlightened 

 man. In the garden of the community were many 

 culinary vegetables, maize, the sugar-cane, and five 

 thousand coffee-trees. 



The greatest curiosity in this beautiful and salu- 

 brious district is a cavern inhabited by nocturnal birds, 

 the fat of which is employed in the missions for 

 dressing food. It is named the Cave of Guacharo, 

 and is situated in a valley three leagues distant from 

 the convent. 



On the 18th of September our travellers, accom- 

 panied by most of the monks and some of the Indians, 

 set out for this aviary, following for an hour and a 

 half a narrow path, leading across a fine plain cov- 

 ered with beautiful turf; then, turning westward 

 along a small river which issues from the cave, they 

 proceeded, during three-quarters of an hour, some- 

 times walking in the water, sometimes on a slippery 

 and miry soil, between the torrent and a wall of 

 rocks, until they arrived at the foot of the lofty 

 mountain of Guacharo. Here the torrent ran in a 

 deep ravine, and they went on under a projecting 

 cliff, which prevented them from seeing the sky, 

 until at the last turning they came suddenly upon 

 the immense opening of the recess, which is eighty- 

 five feet broad and seventy-seven feet high. The 



