OF TIERRA FIRM A. 



7 



under the command of Major on the fea-beach, they were attacked 



in the night from the fafcine battery near Funta Bravuy and being put into 

 diforder, retreated in confufion, and re-imbarked ; but on the 24th the Ad- 

 miral made a general attack on the caftle and fafcine batteries, which lafted 

 for ten hours with great obftinacy on both fides, and fome of the {hips 

 having expended all their ammunition, and moft of them being fo fhattered 

 in their mafts and rigging as to be fcarce able to fet a fail, the Admiral 

 made a fi^-nal to cut, and failed to the Keys q{ Bur bur at a to refit his fquadron. 



Santiago de Leon de CARACAS, 



I S the metropolis of ihQ ^rovmct Venezuela, five leagues within land 

 from Puerto de la Guaira y it is a large, elegant, and wealthy place, built 

 in the Spanip tafte, with broad, flrait ilreets, above a mile long, interfering 

 each other at right angles, with a handfome fquare in the centre, where, 

 moft of the owners of the cocoa tree walks, that are in the valleys by the 

 fhore, and within land refide ; the plantations being managed by overfeers 

 and negroes. K Spaniard who was an acquaintance of Capt. Dampier, and 

 had been there, told him, the town is very populous, and he judged it to be 

 three times as big as the Groyne, in Old Spain. The way to it is very winding, 

 fteep, and craggy, over a ridge of great hills, that clofes up the valley. It 

 is in a large favana that is feven miles long, and in fome places about two 

 miles over, that abounds with cattle, and is terminated on the eaft by im- 

 menfe high hills, and on the weft by fome much fmaller, between which 

 run feveral ftreams of water, that unite into a great river, navigable 

 many miles before it enters into the fea. The coaft here is very 

 remarkable, being a continued trail of high ridges of hills, and fmall: 

 valleys, intermixed for about 20 leagues, ftretching eaft and weft, but in 

 fuch a manner, that the ridges of hills, and the valleys, alternately run point- 

 ing upon the fliore from louth to north. Thefe hills are barren, except the 

 lower fides of tnem, which are covered with fome of the fame rich bla^k 

 mould that nils the valleys, and is very good. In fome of che valleys .I;,.re 



is 



