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A TRIP TO TRINIDAD. 



351 



Fresh water on the Cays— Springs in the sea — Similar springs at 

 Cardenas — The Manatee — Dampier's description of it — Cay de 

 Piedras — The open sea— Its temperature — Marshy coast— Las 

 Casas grant of Indians — Bay of Jagua— Cienfuegos— Hills of San 

 Juan — A bold coast — Mexican wax found in Cuba — River San 

 Juan — Remains of native inhabitants — Sea temperature — Arrival 

 at the river Guaurabo — Ludicrous conveyance to the city — 

 Trinidad — Absence of snow— First settlement— Fine view— Astro- 

 nomical observations — Hospitality — Dinner given by the governor 

 — Complaints of the inhabitants — Ports of Trinidad, Guaurabo — 

 Casilda — An agreeable evening — Cuban ladies — Departure from 

 Trinidad — Stately conveyance — Fire-flies — Interesting anecdote 

 — Conclusion. 



Toward the close of April, 1 1801, Monsieur 

 Bonpland and myself, having completed the series of 

 observations we had proposed making on the extreme 

 northern limit of the torrid zone, were about to 

 depart for Vera Cruz with the squadron of Admiral 

 Aristizabal ; but the false intelligence contained in 

 the public gazettes, relative to the expedition of 

 Captain Baudin, induced us to abandon the project 

 we had entertained, of crossing Mexico on our way 

 to the Philippine Islands. Many papers, and parti- 

 cularly those of the United States, announced that 



1 Thus, in the original, but it is undoubtedly a slip of the pen, 

 and should read February instead of "April." Baron Humboldt 

 arrived at Havana, on his first visit to Cuba, on the 19th December, 

 1800, and sailed from Trinidad on the 16th March, 1801. 



