BOOK IV. 



CHAPTER X. 



Second abode at Cumana. — Earthquakes.— 

 Extraordinary meteors. 



We remained a month longer at Cumana. The 

 voyage which we were going to undertake on 

 the Oronooko and the Rio Negro required pre- 

 parations of every kind. We had to choose the 

 instruments, that could be most easily transport- 

 ed in narrow boats; and to furnish ourselves 

 with guides for an inland journey of ten months, 

 across a country which is without communica- 

 tion with the coasts. The astronomical deter- 

 mination of places being the most important 

 object of this undertaking, I felt greatly inter- 

 ested in not missing the observation of an 

 eclipse of the Sun, which was to be visible at 

 the end of the month of October; and in con- 

 sequence I preferred remaining till that period 



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