CARACCAS. 27 



sioiis of the late captain-generalship of Ca- 

 raccas or Venezuela. The Spanish collec- 

 tion entitled *Viagero Universal,' and the 

 Geographical and Historical American Dic- 

 tionary of Colonel Alcedo, do not present the 

 most sure and exact notions in the descrip- 

 tion of this part of the country. The late 

 M. Depons is not only the first Frenchman, 

 but the first European, who has made a good 

 statistical table of this country : still his 

 work is not without errors and negligences, 

 some of which I shall notice. 



Almost all European geographers con- 

 found the general government of Caraccas or 

 Venezuela, with the province, of which the 

 town of Saint Leon de Caraccas is the ca- 

 pital. This town was the residence of the 

 President,* Captain General, Intendant, and 



* The Captain General used to be President ex-officio 

 of the Audiencia. The title of President was considered 

 as superior to that of Captain General, or Governor. 



