16 



CARACCAS. 



trance of the town, where the first object that 

 attracted my attention was a church on my 

 left, which had been shattered by the earth- 

 quake. The walls only of the nave, although 

 split in some places, stood erect, though 

 partly concealed by the foliage of the wild 

 vegetation, which in this country seems ever 

 ready to take advantage of the desertion of 

 any spot, to recover it from human usurp- 

 ation : the central tower had not entirely 

 fallen, but stood deeply rent from the top 

 in a leaning position, threatening destruc- 

 tion to all within its reach. Many similar 

 scenes of dilapidation characterized this part 

 of the town, roofless and shattered walls, 

 leaning with various degrees of inclination, 

 being met with at every step; a little fur- 

 ther on, symptoms of renovation appear, 

 in a few houses which are building : and at 

 length, on reaching the southern part, few 

 traces of the calamity are seen, the houses 

 generally remaining entire, with merely oc- 



