Cfi.Vl. SOUTH AMERICA. ^69 



The climate of Guarico is extreamly hot, which 

 equally proceeds from the country being every where 

 mountainous, and from its proximity to the line ; 

 fo that perfons who come there only occafionally, on 

 the leaft excels in diet or other circumftances, fel- 

 dom efcape being attacked by diftcmpers, which in 

 three or four days carry them off j particularly great 

 numbers of the Ihips crews are fwept away after 

 extreme pains, the continual labour thefe unhappy 

 people are obliged to go through in unloading and 

 loading, taking in water and other neceffary fervi*- 

 ces of the fliip, expoling them to all the violence 

 of fuch diftcmpers. The malignant fevers and dy- 

 fenteries are of the fame kind as thofe fo fatal at 

 Porto^bello : and a fufficient account being given of 

 the temperature, the inconveniences accompanying 

 it, and of the produ6ts of countries fimilar to this, 

 I may here be excufed from dwelling any farther on 

 thofe fubjeds. 



The cuftoms, genius and manners of the peopfe 

 here are no lels different from the European French, 

 than thofe of the Spanifh Creoles in this part of 

 America are from the real Spaniards. Here are 

 fome perlbns of very great fortune:^ and all acquired, 

 from the cultivation and improvement of their lands: 

 and all live in eafe and happinefs, labouring under 

 very few inconveniences either natural or political ; 

 and this is not the lead caufe of its daily increafe : 

 befides, the people fettled here are of themlelves labo- 

 rious, frugal, inventive, and continually exerting 

 themJelves in making new improvements ; a turn of 

 mind pregnant with fo many advantages, that 1 v/ifli 

 it could raife a fuitable imitation in the Spaniards, 

 that by labour and induftry they might attain that 

 profperity, they fee their neighbours the French have 

 done. 



The j:iarbour, though open to the eaft and north 

 Iftrinds, is very fecure, being partly inclofcd by a ridge 

 Vol. II. B b df 



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