252 



HOT-SPRINGS — CROCODILES. 



of French extraction, Don Pedro Lavie. This town 

 was founded in 1637, and in 1800 contained more 

 than 16,000 inhabitants. The climate is not so hot 

 as that of Cumana, but very damp, and in the rainy 

 season rather unhealthy. M. Bonpland had by this 

 time regained his strength and activity, but his com- 

 panion suffered more at Barcelona than he had done 

 at Angostura. One of those extraordinary tropical 

 rains, during which drops of enormous size fall at 

 sunset, had produced uneasy sensations that seemed 

 to threaten an attack of typhus, a disease then preva- 

 lent on the coast. They remained nearly a month 

 at Barcelona, where they found their friend Juan 

 Gonzales, who, having resolved to go to Europe, 

 meant to accompany them as far as Cuba. 



At the distance of seven miles to the south-east 

 of New-Barcelona rises a chain of lofty mountains 

 connected with the Cerro del Bergantin, which is 

 seen from Cumana. When Humboldt's health was 

 sufficiently restored, the travellers made an excur- 

 sion in that direction, for the purpose of examining 

 the hot-springs in the neighbourhood. These are 

 impregnated with sulphuretted hydrogen, and issue 

 from a quartzose sandstone, lying on a compact lime- 

 stone resembling that of Jura. The temperature of 

 the water was 109*8°. Their host had lent them 

 one of his finest saddle-horses, warning them at the 

 same time not to ford the little river of Narigual, 

 which is infested with crocodiles. They passed 

 over by a kind of bridge formed of the trunks of 

 trees, and made their animals swim, holding them 

 by the bridles. Humboldt's suddenly disappeared, 

 and the guides conjectured that it had been seized 

 by the caymans. 



The crocodiles of the Rio Neveri are numerous, 

 but less ferocious than those of the Orinoco. The 

 people of New-Barcelona convey wood to market 

 by floating the logs on the river, while the proprie- 

 tors swim here and there to set them loose when 



