391 



Firma, the real typhus of America, which is 

 known by the names vomito prieto (the black 

 vomit) and of yellow fever, and which ought 

 to be considered as a morbid affection sui ge- 

 neris, was known only at Porto Cabello, at 

 Carthagena, and at Santa Martha^ where Gas- 

 telbondo had observed and described it in 1729. 

 The Spaniards, who had recently disembarked, 

 and the inhabitants of the valley of Caraccas, 

 were not then afraid to reside at La Guayra, 

 They complained only of the oppressive heat, 

 which prevailed during a great part of the year. 

 If they opposed themselves to the immediate 

 action of the Sun, they dreaded at most only 

 those inflammations of the skin or eyes, which 

 are felt every where in the torrid zone, and 

 which are often accompanied by a febrile affec- 

 tion, and powerful congestions in the head. 

 Many individuals preferred the ardent but uni- 

 form climate of La Guayra to the cool but 

 extremely variable climate of Caraccas ; and 

 scarcely any mention was made of the insa- 

 lubrity of that port. 



Since the year 1797 every thing has changed. 

 Commerce being opened to other vessels than 

 those of the mother country, seamen born in 

 colder climates than Spain, and consequently 

 more sensible to the impressions of the climate 

 of the torrid zone, began to frequent La Guay- 

 ra. The yellow fever declared itself ; North 



