264 CAYO FLAMENCO — RIO GUATJRABO. 



made cruel havoc among them. " On our arrival," 

 says Humboldt, u a profound calm prevailed on this 

 little spot of earth; but now every thing seemed to 

 say, — Man has passed here." 



On the morning of the 11th they visited the Cayo 

 Flamenco, the centre of which is depressed, and 

 only 15 inches above the surface of the sea. The 

 water was brackish, while in other cayos it is quite 

 fresh ; a circumstance difficult to be accounted for 

 in small islands scarcely elevated above the ocean, 

 unless the springs be supposed to come from the 

 neighbouring coast by means of hydrostatic pres- 

 sure. Humboldt was informed by Don Francisco le 

 Maur, that in the Bay of Xagua, to the east of the 

 Jardinillos, fresh water gushes up in several places 

 from the bottom with such force as to prove danger- 

 ous for small canoes. Vessels sometimes take in 

 supplies from them; and the lamantins, or fresh- 

 water cetacea, abound in the neighbourhood. 



To the east of Cape Flamenco they passed close 

 to the Piedras de Diego Perez, and in the evening 

 landed at Cayo de Piedras, two rocks forming 

 the eastern extremity of the Jardinillos, on which 

 many vessels are lost. They are nearly destitute 

 of shrubs, the shipwrecked crews having cut them 

 down to make signals. Next day, turning round the 

 passage between the northern cape of the Cayo and 

 the island of Cuba, they entered a sea free from 

 breakers, and of a dark-blue colour ; the increase of 

 temperature in which indicated a great augmenta 

 tion of depth. The thermometer was at 79*2° ; 

 whereas in the shoal-water of the Jardinillos it had 

 been seen as low as 72*7°, the air being from 77° to 

 80*6° during the day. Passing in succession the 

 marshy coast of Camareos, the entrance of the 

 Bahia de Xagua, and the mouth of the Rio San Juan, 

 along a naked and desert coast, they entered on the 

 14th the Rio Guaurabo to land their pilot. Disem- 

 barking in the evening, they made preparations for 



