48 



manners and forms, the species which the Cre- 

 oles meant by these denominations. Forgetting 

 that these animals are dispersed over a vast ex- 

 tent of country, we hoped to find them in the 

 forests of Cumana. Nothing so much excites 

 the curiosity of a naturalist, as the recital of the 

 wonders of a country where he is on the point 

 of landing. 



On the 16th of July, 1799, at the point of day, 

 we saw a verdant coast, of picturesque aspect. 

 The mountains of New Andalusia, half veiled by 

 mists, bounded the horizon to the south. The 

 city of Cumana and it's castle appeared between 

 groups of cocoa trees. We anchored in the 

 port about nine in the morning, forty-one days 

 after our departure from Corunna. The sick 

 dragged themselves on deck to enjoy the sight 

 of a land, which was about to pu t an end to their 

 sufferings, 



I was unwilling to interrupt the narrative of 

 our voyage by the detail of the physical observa- 

 tions I made during the passage from the coasts 

 of Spain to Teneriffe, and thence to Cumana. 

 Observations of this kind are not really interest- 

 ing, except when we can dispose their results in 

 such a manner as to lead to general ideas. The 

 form of a personal narrative, and the nature of 

 it's composition^ are not well fitted for the full 

 explanation of phenomena, which vary with the 

 seasons, and the position of places. In order to 



